Zurich: A Destination You Can Bank On

Nestling on the northwestern tip of the lake that bears its name, Zurich is one of Europe's most affluent cities. It consistently ranks at the top of livability ratings, and although it may not be Switzerland’s capital, it is certainly its most important city.

Zurich has long been associated with finance and not always in a positive light. Provisions to a Swiss banking law passed in 1934 gave rise to a culture of secrecy that prevails to this day. The city's bankers have been branded the “Gnomes of Zurich,” an epithet that was originally pejorative but is now worn by many financiers as a badge of pride. The privacy laws, combined with various tax exemptions and reductions, and Switzerland's history of neutrality and stability have made it a de facto tax haven for foreign depositors. With a third of the world's offshore funds sitting in Swiss accounts — a large proportion of them in Zurich — it is little wonder that banking has been dubbed “a state religion.” In recent years, however, EU demands for greater transparency and accountability have seen pretenders to Zurich's throne emerge — Singapore being among the most noteworthy.

The Swiss reputation for efficiency is evident in Zurich's flawless infrastructure. Punctuality in transportation is considered essential for the smooth expedition of business, and Zurich's position at the heart of Europe has made it an ideal hub. Likewise, Zurich is a global leader in telecommunications, in terms of coverage, technology and service.

世界金庫——蘇黎世

坐落於同名湖泊西北端的蘇黎世是歐洲最富庶的城市之 一。這座城市在宜居評比上總是名列前茅。雖不是瑞士的 首都，但它無疑是瑞士最重要的城市。

蘇黎世長久以來一直與金融習習相關，而這形象並不 全然正面。一九三四年通過的瑞士銀行法促成了延續至今 的保密文化。這座城市的銀行業者被人稱為「蘇黎世地 精」，這個稱呼原本帶有貶意，現在卻有許多金融家將其 視為榮耀的標記。隱私法加上各種免稅和減稅待遇，以及 長久以來的中立立場與穩定狀態，使得瑞士成了外國存款 人實質上的避稅天堂。由於全世界三分之一的境外基金都 存放在瑞士的帳戶裡——其中一大部分都在蘇黎世——無怪 乎該國的銀行業被稱為「國教」。不過，近年來因為歐盟 對於透明度與責任的要求提高，蘇黎世在銀行界的王位開 始受到其他城市的覬覦——其中最值得注意的就是新加坡。

瑞士人高效率的名聲在蘇黎世無懈可擊的基礎設施中可 見一斑。一般認為運輸工具的準時性是商業活動順暢迅捷 的關鍵，而蘇黎世位於歐洲中心點的位置更使其成為理想 的集散地。此外，在電信方面的涵蓋範圍、科技與服務水 準等條件上，蘇黎世也是全球的領袖。

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