Switzerland: Announcement of new export subsidies
Description
On 17 August 2011, the government of Switzerland considered the implementation of new export subsidies in 2012.
With the details still to be decided, the government designated the expected budget surplus of SFr 2 billion (USD 2.4 bn) to be spent on "the external sector, tourism, innovation, research, infrastructure". The Federal Council is scheduled to announce further specifications of the programme on 31 August 2011.
However, public criticism over a the proposed export subsidies led the government to reduce its programm to CHF 870 million, most of which went into unemployment insurance and education. CHF 100 million were given to a state-owned bank (Schweizerische Gesellschaft für Hotelkredit SGH) to be used in case a credit crunch were to occur in the tourism sector for unspecified reasons.
The Federal Council deemed the additional expenditure a necessary means to counter the appreciation of the Swiss currency against the Euro and the US Dollar witnessed in the first half of 2011.
Any Evidence-Based Deliberation:
| Question | Result |
|---|---|
| Is there anything in the public record to suggest that evidence of the effectiveness of the proposed measure was considered during official deliberations? | |
| Is there any evidence that alternatives to the proposed measure were considered? | |
| Is there anything in the public record that suggests that empirical evidence informed the comparison across the alternatives available to government? | |
| Was such evidence identified? | |
| Is such evidence publicly available? | |
| Did the official decision-maker in question provide an explanation as to why a chosen measure was favoured over alternatives? | |
| Is there any evidence to suggest that potentially affected trading partners were consulted before the measures were taken? | |
| Is there any evidence that safeguards have been put in place to ensure that implementation of the initiative is transparent and non-discriminatory? | |
| Did the government state its intention to review the measure within one year of implementation? |
Date Discovered:
Implemented: No
Date of inception:
GTA Evaluation: Amber
Source:
Swiss Government. (2011). Bundesrat beschliesst zwei Milliarden zur Stärkung des Werkplatzes und bekämpft Überhitzung im Hypothekargeschäft. Available at http://www.news.admin.ch/message/index.html?lang=de&msg-id=40629
Swiss Government. (2011). Massnahmen zur Stützung des Werkplatzes Schweiz. Available at http://www.news.admin.ch/dokumentation/00002/00015/index.html?lang=de&ms...
Government Response:
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