Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Swiss branch of Sberbank allowed to pay creditors

Sberbank logo
Sberbank Switzerland was placed under protective supervision shortly after war in Ukraine broke out. © Keystone / Michael Buholzer

The Swiss financial regulator has partially lifted restrictions on the Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank so it can pay off non-sanctioned creditors.

The Financial Market Supervisory Authority (Finma) introduced protective measures for Sberbank Switzerland on March 4, the week after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The action temporarily released the bank from obligations to depositors and creditors as it reduced its activities and refrained from taking on any new business. The bank was forbidden from conducting payments and transactions.

Finma also appointed an investigating agent to oversee restructuring at the bank and later extended protective measures until August 1.

On Friday, Finma said it would partially lift the measures so that the bank can settle bills with selective creditors for the next few days. The Swiss branch is not allowed to make payments to its parent company in Russia.

“This step is possible because the bank has successfully stabilised its financial situation under Finma supervision and the international sanctions currently in force permit such payments,” Finma stated.

The move will allow Sberbank Switzerland to clear some of its debts “also with a view to a possible sale or change of ownership”, the regulator added.

Sberbank Switzerland is part of the Russian Sberbank group but is a separate entity from Sberbank Europe, which has been hit with EU sanctions.

The Swiss entity will remain under “intensive” supervision by the financial regulator.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

No Swiss bank in phase with environmental objectives

More

Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF

This content was published on None of the 15 major Swiss retail banks is meeting international climate and biodiversity targets, according to a ranking by WWF Switzerland.

Read more: Swiss banks failing environment, says WWF
UNRWA provides emergency assistance to just over one million Palestine refugees, or about 75 per cent of all Palestine refugees in Gaza, who lack the financial means to cover their basic food.

More

Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

This content was published on The only alternative to the UN Palestinian agency’s work in Gaza is to allow Israel to run services there, Philippe Lazzarini, UNRWA Commissioner-General, told reporters in Geneva on Monday.

Read more: Lazzarini: no alternative to UNRWA in Gaza

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR