The Swiss Bankers Association (SBA) says negative interest rates are contributing to financial and economic instability in Switzerland. The central bank, which has set rates at -0.75%, is due to review its policy on September 19.
This content was published on
3 minutes
When not covering fintech, cryptocurrencies, blockchain, banks and trade, swissinfo.ch's business correspondent can be found playing cricket on various grounds in Switzerland - including the frozen lake of St Moritz.
SBAExternal link Chairman Herbert Scheidt said on Thursday that a normalisation of interest rates “appears a long way off”. “Unfortunately, the societal, structural and long-term damages will become even greater the longer we find ourselves in this ‘lower forever’ environment,” he told the media.
By contrast, interest rates in the United States remain in positive territory while European banks benefit from “targeted longer-term refinancing operations”. These are loans issued by the European Central Bank (ECB) to commercial banks on highly preferential rates provided the money is recycled on to companies.
“Depending on how much credit and how many mortgages the banks have granted over a certain period of time, they can actually receive money from the ECB instead of paying interest on it,” said Scheidt at the annual Swiss Bankers DayExternal link event in Zurich.
SNB intervenes
The SBA said negative interest rates also threaten a bubble in the housing market as investors look for more attractive returns, damage pension funds and discourage companies from investing.
Keeping interest rates ultra-low is one of the key weapons that the SNBExternal link wields in its battle to keep down the value of the franc. In times of global uncertainty, investors pump up the value of the safe haven franc, to the detriment of Swiss exporters and the domestic tourism industry.
Charging large-scale investors for stockpiling francs acts as a deterrent, but economists are sceptical about the chances of the SNB dropping rates even further next week. However, the ECB’s decision on Thursday to cut its deposit facility rate on the commercial bank assets it holds from -0.4% to -0.5%, plus a renewed commitment to buy EU government bonds, will add extra pressure on the SNB to react.
The SNB has also been active in the currency markets, effectively printing francs to buy financial instruments denominated in other currencies.
The evidence suggests that the central bank has stepped up this activity to the tune of billions of francs in recent weeks.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
This content was published on
The current low interest rate era has already driven down the interest (or coupon) payments being offered by bond issuers. But the forces driving bonds into negative yields is somewhat counterintuitive – it is because demand for bonds is so strong that it outstrips supply. That means investors are willing to buy bonds at above…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.