20.3.06

Swiss companies suffer costly burden of border formalities

The survey of 612 companies estimated that duties levied on imports and exports, as well as different regulations and lost time due to border checks, cost businesses about 3.8 billion Swiss francs (2.4 billion euros, 2.9 billion dollars) a year.

By contrast, Swiss authorities generated 1.05 billion Swiss francs in revenue, the study said. If border controls on goods were eliminated, Switzerland's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would grow by 0.85 percent while up to 400 million Swiss francs in administrative costs could be wiped out, it added.
[fonte: EU Business]