Investors! Bring the money to Switzerland! But not to the bank :)
Switzerland invites Russian investorsThe capital of the Country
The Days of the Swiss Canton of Vaud were held in Moscow from September 14 to 16.
A number of cultural and business events were timed to coincide with this event. They were attended by more than 120 representatives of Swiss companies from various sectors of the economy (banks, energy, innovation, medicine and biotechnology, telecommunications, agriculture, sports, tourism, etc.) interested in developing business ties with Russia. On the Russian side, about 600 business representatives, mainly small and medium-sized, took part in the Days. The Russian partner of the event was the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, but companies from other regions of Russia also showed interest in it.
Several important forums were held as part of the business part. The Business Forum provided an opportunity for Russian and Swiss businessmen to establish business relations, which in the future can become an excellent basis for cooperation.
The forum "Health and Life Sciences" was dedicated to the issues of natural sciences and healthcare. The interest in this area is not accidental: among the priority industries that are developing most successfully in the canton are pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and medical technology.
The forum "Sport and the Olympic Movement" was attended by the Minister of Sports of the Russian Federation V.L. Mutko and the leadership of the Russian Olympic Committee. Before the forum, a solemn official ceremony of the city of Sochi's entry into the International Union of Olympic Cities, headed by the Mayor of Lausanne, took place.
At the tourism forum, representatives of the well-known Swiss travel company OTV/ Swiss Tourism discussed the prospects of cooperation with leading Russian tour operators.
As part of the business part of the Days, the Swiss delegation also met with the Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, members of the State Duma and other senior officials at the federal and Moscow levels, and signed international agreements between the Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Moscow and the Canton of Vaud. The Russian and Swiss sides agreed to coordinate their efforts in organizing specialized exhibitions, fairs, conferences and seminars, as well as to encourage the development of direct business contacts between commercial, scientific and industrial enterprises of Moscow and the Swiss canton of Vaud.
Russia has presented a number of interesting cooperation projects with Switzerland
Swiss entrepreneurs were presented with a number of interesting innovative projects registered with the Moscow Agency for Export Support and Investment Attraction, the "daughter" of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
According to Vadim Kulikov, Head of the Innovation Center, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the innovative engineering company "ECOVAVE Technologies", Russia and Switzerland already have experience in cooperation in the field of innovation. In Switzerland, which uses fuel oil rather than gas for heating, Russian technology for the preparation of fuel mixtures is used. It is much more profitable than the European one, both from an economic and environmental point of view. The University of Lausanne provided its laboratories for the development of this technology and acted as an expert.
According to Vadim Kulikov, Switzerland may also be interested in Russian technologies for pressure stabilization in all types of pipelines – since this problem is quite acute for a country, a significant part of which is occupied by mountains.
In Russia, according to the head of the Innovation Center, the latest Swiss technologies for water and wastewater treatment can be used – within the framework of the Clean Water project, to which the Russian government pays great attention. Russian entrepreneurs, Vadim Kulikov stressed, are primarily interested in organizing production in Russia using the latest technologies.
Switzerland provides significant benefits aimed at developing new industries and attracting investors.
The government of the Canton of Vaud pays great attention to the development of strategic sectors of the economy, said Jean-Claude Mermou, Minister of the canton's Economy department. These include the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology, medical technology, micro– and nanotechnology, precision engineering, information and communication technologies, agricultural and food industries, as well as tourism. According to Mr. Mermu, the greatest preference is given to the development of industry and technologies with high added value. Conditions favorable for the implementation of high-tech projects have been created in the canton. It is also important that a significant part of the investment is venture capital. From 2007 to 2009, its volume amounted to more than 300 million Swiss francs.
A number of clusters have been created to support high-tech enterprises, thereby expanding opportunities for research and development of new technologies in relevant areas. For example, a cluster in the field of life sciences (biological) allows conducting research in more than 500 laboratories. The Government of the canton creates favorable conditions for cooperation between entrepreneurs and research centers and assumes half of the costs associated with research activities.
In addition, the canton covers half of the costs of the external order, assists in the development of international markets, commercialization of new products and the search for trading partners. It is also possible to assist in the selection of personnel. According to Meru, the maximum cost of such a service is 15 thousand Swiss francs per employee.
The development of new enterprises and the creation of new jobs in the canton is greatly facilitated by a flexible system of differentiated taxation. Various programs are aimed at this at all three levels: municipal, cantonal and federal. Tax exemption, according to Meru, can be granted at the level of the confederation, canton or commune. Under certain conditions, even a 100% tax exemption for 10 years is possible. There is a possibility of exemption from income and capital tax. The privileged status of the company allows you to reduce taxation depending on the type of activity of the company. The largest tax benefits are enjoyed by holdings that are subject only to direct federal tax. There are also tax benefits for businesses headquartered in the canton of Vaud, as well as for trading companies. Companies with branches in Switzerland are partially exempt from tax for a period of 10 years. Various tax benefits are also provided depending on the amount of material assets and the number of jobs created by the company. Thanks to the transparency of the tax system, you can submit a request for financial benefits, conclude a fiscal agreement in advance and find out the amount of tax in advance.
A well-developed infrastructure also contributes to the high investment potential of the canton. At the same time, do not forget that a very important place in it is given to banks. The Canton of Vaud is the third largest financial center in Switzerland. The canton Government provides guarantees when taking out bank loans for industrial investments, and also pursues a policy of partially covering bank interest on loans for investment projects, albeit for a very limited period. At the same time, the loan rate in the canton is one of the lowest – about 5%.
The canton government is ready to take on about a third (maximum – half) of the costs of the total investment in the project. The minimum investment amount for an entrepreneur is 1.5 million Swiss francs (approx. 1 million euros).
A flexible system of labor law operating in the canton also creates a favorable environment for investors. With the exception of certain clear restrictions (the provision of 4-week leave and the limitation of working hours of 45-50 hours per week), the rest of the contract between workers and employers is quite free, including in relation to layoffs, even collective. The only condition that must be met at the same time is 3 months' advance notice of dismissal. It is worth noting that 22% of the employees of the canton's enterprises are foreigners, and most of them are highly qualified specialists. Getting a work permit in the canton is also not very difficult.
Thanks to the targeted support of the Government, the number of foreign and international companies operating in the canton is constantly increasing, which, in turn, has a positive effect on the economy of the region.
Portal "Eternal youth"www.vechnayamolodost.ru
16.09.2009