Profiteer Zug? Dispute over Zurich location marketing
The accusation is that Zug benefits from Zurich’s location marketing payments. Nevertheless, the Zurich Cantonal Council has given the green light for another payment in the millions.
In 1999, eight cantons joined forces in the Greater Zurich Area (GZA) Foundation for joint location marketing. In addition to Zurich, these are Solothurn, Schaffhausen, Zug, Schwyz, Glarus, Uri and Graubünden. The cities of Zurich and Winterthur as well as various companies and private sector associations are also members of the foundation.
The Zurich Cantonal Council has now debated the contribution that the canton makes to the marketing pot, as the Tages-Anzeiger on Monday reports. The canton is to contribute a total of CHF 8.4 million for the years 2020 to 2023 to attract foreign companies to the Greater Zurich Area.
Zurich pays, Zug benefits
The bill caused some debate. The reason: although Zurich pays much more (2017: CHF 2.1 million) than Zug (CHF 180,000), more than half of the new companies set up their headquarters in Zug.
Reason enough for the SP to rethink the distribution formula. This should now be based on the number of new companies established thanks to GZA. However, the contribution for Zurich will no longer be linked to the population anyway - the majority of the Council saw no reason to overturn this special regulation.
The wrong time for cantons
The proponents had stronger arguments: every franc invested in the GZA would be returned tenfold, said Cristina Wyss of the GLP. And government councillor Carmen Walker Späh from the FDP argued that "cantonal elitism" should be avoided, especially in the current situation - a no vote would mean the grounding of the GZA.
This will not happen. The Zurich millions have been earmarked for the next three years.
