Even if it’s obvious: bad news is bad news. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) lost a record CHF 132 billion last year. Cantons get nothing. Cashiers who expect profit distribution despite the dark clouds on the investment horizon now have to tighten their belts. Where is the savings and where can possible tax increases be expected? SonntagsBlick asked all financial directors.
Good news first: No panic. Nobody is announcing a tax increase, nobody is suspending a big project. The tenor is that a one-off lack of money is absolutely manageable. This optimism also prevailed in budget planning. 16 cantons relied on the grant, ten cantons were planned without SNB millions.
For example, the canton of Bern flirts with 320 million, Zurich with 236 million and Vaud with 187.6 million. “It’s a pain not to distribute profits,” says Bernese chief financial officer Astrid Bärtschi (centre). “A deficit and new debt should be expected.” At the moment, it is becoming clear where to save money in Bern.
As in many states, the SNB millions in the canton of Zurich helped stabilize the national budget during the pandemic. A spokesperson for the Zurich finance department says the failure to deliver was unpleasant but manageable.
Most cantons assume a redistribution of profits in one to two years.