Zurich will require immigrants to sign an ‘integration contract, and Swiss restaurants found not to comply with hygiene rules — these are among the news that The Local reported this week. You can catch up on everything in this weekly roundup.
Zurich may require migrants to sign an ‘integration agreement’
The Liberal Radicals (PLR), the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), and the Centre Party have submitted a joint motion in the cantonal parliament seeking to obligate all refugees and asylum seekers coming to Zurich to sign an integration agreement.
This multi-party motion calls on the parliament “to introduce a binding integration contract that sets out the rights, obligations, as well norms and values of our society”.
This means they would have to comply with such principes as gender equality, proficiency in the language of the region, obligatory schooling for children, as well as respect of Swiss laws and values.
READ ALSO: Immigrants in Zurich could be obliged to sign an ‘integration contract’
A number of Swiss restaurants don’t follow hygiene rules
Health inspections carried out by Switzerland’s Federal Office for Food Safety ( FSVO) suggest many restaurants in the country have a hygiene issue.
Among the restaurants the FSVO inspected (no names of the establishments or their locations have been disclosed) the health risk was deemed “considerable” or “high” in one in four inspections.
Experts retorted that such problems do exist in some restaurants, and can be remedied by ongoing training, which must implemented equally rigorously in all cantons.
READ ALSO: Do restaurants in Switzerland have a hygiene problem?
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German retailers suggest carpooling to Swiss shoppers to beat the tax rules
From January 1st, 2025, Switzerland has cut the tax-free allowance for cross-border shoppers by half – from 300 to 150 francs.
This means that shopping abroad is now less lucrative for the Swiss, but German retailers found a way around this problem.
The answer is simple: carpooling.
Rather than have one person per car – and thus be limited to a 150-franc tax allowance – German supermarkets like Edeka and Marktkauf are urging their Swiss customers to shop in groups.
In other words, every passenger is entitled to a 150-franc minimum, even those who don’t actually shop.
READ ALSO: How German retailers help Swiss shoppers circumvent tax rules
Is zero-percent inflation good or bad for Swiss population?
In April, inflation in Switzerland fell to zero percent, from 0.3 percent the previous month.
One of the benefits of a low inflation for consumers is increased purchasing power.
But the downside is that such a low rate could lead to a ‘negative inflation’ — technically called deflation — which could have some adverse effects on the consumers.
While on the surface it may seem like deflation benefits consumers because prices keep falling and people can afford to buy more with the same income, in reality it isn’t so.
What happens is that over time, deflation can lead to the weakening of the economy and, eventually, lower wages.
READ ALSO: What does Switzerland’s zero percent inflation rate mean for you?
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Truck-to-train transport to cease at the end of 2025
Despite Switzerland’s longstanding commitment to switching merchandise traffic from road to rail in order to reduce the impact of greenhouse emissions, this plan will end by December.
The reason is the unreliable rail network, with many trains disrupted due to continued construction on the railroad infrastructure.
As a result, zero 2026, trucks will transport their merchandise exclusively by road, contributing to air pollution, which is contrary to Switzerland’s longterm climate goals
READ ALSO: Switzerland’s ‘Rolling Motorway’ to close
