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Finance and tax policy

Betrug, Mosambik, Kreditbetrug

Article as analysis

Every bad loan is one too many

Many poor countries are indebted to major Swiss banks. Instead of debt service, they could now be using their funds to manage the health and social policy aspects of the pandemic. Banks should now provide generous loan write-offs.

Article as analysis

Back to «normal»?

The corona pandemic is not just an epoch-making health and humanitarian challenge, but in many developing countries will also translate into a protracted economic, political and social crisis. International solidarity is needed now more than ever.

Political article

The Green New Deal according to Ann Pettifor

An effective climate turnaround requires more than just sustainable investment policies. British economist Ann Pettifor wants to see radical reform of the financial and fiscal system. Her book opens with the words: «We can afford what we can do».

Political article

After the elections...

Much has already been written about the 2019 parliamentary election results. One searched the media in vain for an assessment of their implications for Switzerland‘s development policy approaches or its foreign policy.

Article as analysis

The dazzle of the private sector

The privatization of development funding could completely overshadow vital tax and financial policy issues. For Switzerland, not changing course would mean the end of the implementation of Agenda 2030 in terms of development policy.

Political article

One tax for all

The value chains of multinationals have long spanned the entire globe. Yet corporations are still being taxed at the nation-state level. Unitary taxation, a worldwide aggregate corporate taxation, could change this.

Political article

Tax flight kills mothers

Fiscal policy is a matter for a few – generally male – insiders divorced from reality. But it turns out, particularly from a gender equity standpoint, that tax policy entails negotiating the most elementary things in life.

Political article

Global taxation looming for US data mining giants?

Representatives of more than 100 countries are discussing a reform of digital taxation in the OECD framework. It is still unclear whether it will also benefit developing countries. Switzerland's tax dumping model could again come under pressure.

The upcoming referendum on corporate tax reform

On 19 May, Switzerland votes again on its corporate tax reform, which Parliament has linked to additional funding of its pension system (AHV). From a development policy point of view, the tax proposal does not represent any significant progress.