The national financial watchdog has renewed calls for closer inspections of public funds paid to companies hit by government restrictions during the Covid pandemic.
This content was published on
2 minutes
swissinfo.ch/urs
Português
pt
Agência de fiscalização revê pagamentos de compensação da Covid
In its latest report, the Federal Audit OfficeExternal link said it noted “a high number” of cases of suspected fraud or inaccurate data.
Nearly 35,000 companies handed in about 52,000 requests for financial assistance by the end of last November. The total amount paid out as part of “hardship cases” comes to more than CHF5 billion ($5.4 billion), the office said on Monday.
Possible wrongdoing includes providing erroneous information about the business activities of a company, the payment of dividends to shareholders or claiming excessive financial benefits.
The office also examined the payout of short-time working compensation. Under this scheme, more than CHF14 billion was granted to some 160,000 companies between March 2020 and December 2021.
Losses
Under another scheme, the government also offered loan guarantees which led to losses of CHF324 million by the end of last year.
There were more than 5,800 cases of suspected irregularities where authorities demanded adjustments or reported a criminal offence.
The State Secretariat for Economic Affairs which oversaw the compensation payments downplayed the findings of the audit office.
Three financial pillars, also including a loss-of-earnings scheme, were set up last year to soften the impact of government restrictions imposed to contain the spread of Covid. The audit office monitors the payments and reports on a regular basis.
Most Read Swiss Abroad
More
Switzerland’s priciest street makes room for a bakery shop
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Is artificial intelligence an advantage or a disadvantage for workers?
What is your experience with AI at work? Have you already used it? Has it helped you work better? Or has it caused you more stress, more work or caused you to lose your job? Tell us about your experiences!
Austrian right-wing extremist arrested by Swiss police
This content was published on
The Austrian right-wing extremist Martin Sellner entered Switzerland on Saturday despite being banned from entering the country.
All Swiss listed companies have a climate strategy
This content was published on
All major listed Swiss companies have a climate strategy. This puts Switzerland ahead of neighbouring Germany and Austria, says a study by Kirchhoff Consult and BDO.
Local birds are stars of this year’s Bern light show
This content was published on
The Rendez-vous Bundesplatz light show enters a new round on Saturday. This year, birds will be chirping, squawking and fluttering all over the façade of the federal parliament.
EU urges countries to keep demining in Ukraine permanently on the agenda
This content was published on
The Lausanne Ministerial Conference on Humanitarian Demining in Ukraine led to pledges from more than 40 countries to help the war-torn country.
This content was published on
Researchers at the University of Zurich have used artificial intelligence to detect antibiotic-resistant germs for the first time.
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.
Read more
More
More cases of suspected illegal Covid payments reported
This content was published on
The financial watchdog says more than 200 Swiss firms paid dividends despite a ban as they benefited from credits during the Covid crisis.
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.