SVP Renews Immigration Control Effort; New Animal Welfare Rules; Motor Vehicle Tax Error; Swissbau Fair 2018 Opens

News For 16 January 2018

The Swiss People's Party (SVP) wasted no time in 2018 to renew their efforts to limit immigration.  SVP now have one year to gather the necessary 100,000 signatures for their petition to become a referendum item in 2019.  If passed, the referendum would instruct the Swiss government to act unilaterally - without consultations with the EU - to manage its immigration policies.  In 2016, the SVP was outraged when the Swiss Federal Government did not fully implement the results from the 2014 referendum which narrowly passed.  The 2014 referendum was supposed to "control immigration" by preventing free movement of EU citizens into and out of Switzerland.  By doing so however, it would have also violated bi-lateral economic agreements Switzerland has with the EU.  Two years of laborious negotiations took place between the trading partners that resulted in the compromise Switzerland lives with today.  

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Animal welfare rules in Switzerland have been revamped in time for the new year.  Among the changes are rules affecting the treatment of lobsters, dogs and cats.  From now on, the lobsters you eat in Switzerland will not have gone from an icy transport crate straight to the boil.  Instead, lobsters intended for the plate will have to be kept in "natural" environs while alive, and stunned before being thrown in the pot.  Dogs suffering will also be eased: devices which inflict punishment for barking or making noise are now banned as well.  Those with house-cats will also need to ensure that cats are not left alone for more than a day, and that they're allowed contact with other cats.  

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If you drive a car and live in BaselStadt its that time of the year where you've received your annual Motor Vehicle Tax.  The city sent out approximately 60,000 such notices this year, and it seems all of them are missing an important encoding which allows for their payment at the Post Office.  Fortunately, sufficient information is available on the paying-in slips that payment can still be made using manual e-banking functions that most people have.  If, however, you are one of the unfortunate few who do all your payments via the Post, don't get your hopes up that your payment is waived.  The city is already busy resending the notices with all the necessary information.  The embarrassing episode is set to cost the authorities 31,000 francs, and will extend the deadline for payment to March 15.

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Today marked the opening of the 2018 SwissBau construction trade fair at the Messehalle.  On hand for the opening was Ueli Maurer of the Swiss Federal council kicking-off events.  Over the next five days over 1000 exhibitors from 17 countries will welcome more than 100,000 visitors to the fair.  Construction represents 66 billion Euros of annual turnover to the Swiss economy, and the fair seeks to attract experts and interested parties in planning, investment, construction, real estate, trade and their clients.  This year's event theme is digitalization and its effect on the industry.