Referendum Results; Lego Event Comes To Basel; Tourism Records Reached; Kaserne Will Get Makeover

News For 14 February 2017

Sunday marked the first of the annual four annual referenda when Swiss voters took to the polls.  Two contentious issues were resolved, when voters chose to approve a measure making it easier for third generation residents of Switzerland to become citizens.  In another measure, voters overwhelmingly rejected a measure to reform the corporate tax system.  In the first measure, the process for citizenship will be simplified, allowing eligible applicants to skip several steps in the notoriously lengthy application process.  Automatic citizenship is still not, however, granted until the application is reviewed and approved.  The campaign to defeat this measure was marked by posters sponsored by the conservative Swiss People's Party bearing the likeness of a woman in a black burqa, meant to stoke fears of muslim immigration and naturalization.  The second measure would have harmonized Swiss tax rates for domestic and multinational firms residing in Switzerland.  Currently, the tax rules favor generally large, multinational firms which the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development has deemed anti-competitive relative to Switzerland's trading partners.  Switzerland now has two years to come up with an alternative or face the possibility that its large corporate residents may pick-up stakes and relocate elsewhere for fear tax uncertainty.

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This year's Muba event at the Messe, highlighting consumer goods, will have a special neighbor.  Coming to Basel May 12 to 21 is Bricklive, the largest Lego event in the world.  15,000 square meters of space in Messe Hall #1 will host over 2,000,000 of the ubiquitous Danish building blocks.  The event has been a hit in Asia and the UK in years past, and the organizers have high expectations for the turnout.  Featured at the event will be brickpits for people to bathe in Lego, artists that use Lego as a sculpture medium, and new product releases for Lego fans of all ages.

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Seems hard to believe, but for the 11th year in a row, our small city has managed a new record 1.2 million registered overnight stays at hotels.  Driving the visits is the strength of the sport and congress industries.  Last year's UEA Europa League event alone increased the number of Spaniards visiting Basel by 10.2 percent over the prior year.  Art Basel and the abundance of Museums and Galleries hosting important art collections also adds to the growth numbers.  Basel Tourism, the government agency responsible for promotion and management of the Canton's interests in the field expects continued growth for 2017.

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Despite opposition, Basel voters approved by referendum a project to rehabilitate the Kaserne in KleinBasel at a cost of 44.6 Million Swiss Francs.  The renovations will see the facility transformed into a state-of-the art cultural center.  First built in 1863, the building also needs improvements to safety and additional infrastructure to support the growth in visitors that are expected once the work is done.  Home to the Basel Tattoo and an important participant in the HerbsMesse, Kaserne has been decaying without the necessary improvements which will begin this year.