Politics · Switzerland · 21 hrs ago
Swiss business survey finds bureaucracy delaying company projects
A survey of 1,527 Swiss companies found widespread concern about bureaucracy across firms of different sizes and regions.
Two-thirds said the regulatory burden was high, and 64% said it had grown over the past five years.
Three in ten had delayed, reduced or abandoned projects or investments because of administrative requirements.
Companies said the burden was affecting product and service development, investment and training apprentices.
Economiesuisse says the delays could weaken Swiss competitiveness and is urging the government and public authorities to simplify rules and make processes more efficient.
Its proposals include digital public services, standard forms and faster permit procedures, including for construction.
A survey commissioned by business umbrella group Economiesuisse found that 30 percent of Swiss companies had delayed, reduced or abandoned projects or investments because of administrative requirements.
The representative survey questioned 1,527 companies of different sizes across Switzerland’s language regions.
Sixty-seven percent of respondents rated the regulatory burden as high, and 64 percent said bureaucracy had increased over the previous five years.
Companies reported time-consuming procedures, repeated requests for information and differing requirements from authorities.
Economiesuisse called for simpler rules and more efficient, digitally connected government processes.
- Who
- A representative sample of 1,527 Swiss companies was surveyed by gfs.bern on behalf of Economiesuisse.
- What
- The survey found that 30 percent of companies had delayed, reduced or abandoned projects or investments because of administrative requirements.
- When
- The findings were presented to the media on Monday, 9 November 2026.
- Where
- Switzerland.
- Why
- Companies said administrative requirements and bureaucracy hindered their projects and investments.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
gfs.bern conducted a representative survey of 1,527 companies on behalf of Economiesuisse.
The survey findings were presented to the media.
- Companies affected
- 30 percent said they had delayed, reduced or abandoned projects or investments
- Survey sample
- 1,527 companies
- High regulatory burden
- 67 percent of companies
- Bureaucracy increased
- 64 percent said it had risen over the previous five years
- Survey regions
- All Swiss language regions
What people are saying
The increasing regulatory burden and the bureaucracy associated with it are home-grown. This must urgently be countered. Companies need more room to operate again. Only in this way can prosperity and jobs in our country be secured.
Bureaucracy is patient; innovation needs speed. When good ideas meet lengthy and cumbersome procedures, Switzerland loses valuable ground.
The funds absorbed by bureaucracy are missing from investment in the future. This is an unhealthy development.
The competitiveness of the financial centre should therefore be enshrined as an equally important regulatory objective and consistently taken into account in new requirements.