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Zug took a close look at Russian companies and private individuals. None of them are affected by the EU sanctions.
Heinz Tännler did some detective work after all. At the end of March, the Zug finance director said in a “Reporter” television report by SRF that he did not see it as his job to look for Russian assets “like a detective”.
He warned of “overactionism” because criticism had arisen that Zug was implementing the sanctions against Russian companies and private individuals too laxly. Because it was said that the low-tax canton did not report to the federal government those companies and oligarchs that were on the EU sanctions list for the attack on Ukraine, which Switzerland had taken over.
Now Tännler sounds different. Following a statement from the canton, he said on Thursday: “The tax authorities checked all persons, companies and institutions listed on the sanctions list to see whether they are domiciled in the canton of Zug or have any relationship to our canton.”
No names that are on the EU sanctions list
This check was not easy, says Tännler – the list is around 300 pages long, so you can’t just mark names with a red pencil. Rather, complex clarifications were necessary. But: “There were no hits”. Although there are a relatively large number of Russian companies or citizens in the canton of Zug, none are on the sanctions list.
There were no hits.
The fact that this review has now taken place is not a turnaround, according to Tännler: “It was always clear that we would support and implement the sanctions – but when I said I wasn’t playing the detective, it was simply not clear what the federal government actually thought of us wanted to.”
Tännler sees Zug “exaggerated”
In addition, he lacked objectivity in the public discussion at the time, according to the Zug finance director. “At times, the impression was created that every company with ties to Russia was on the sanctions list.”
Legend:
Zug: picture-postcard city and low-tax – and therefore attractive for companies from all over the world. Also from Russia.
key stone
Zug was also “exaggerated” in public with regard to oligarchs. “I’ve always said: When it comes to oligarchs, you should look more closely at Geneva or Vaud, or at the posh resorts in the Bernese Oberland and Graubünden.”
Criticism has not yet died down in the Zug parliament
It remains to be seen whether this review will remove criticism of finance director Heinz Tännler. An initiative from the left is still pending in the Zug cantonal parliament – it calls for a cantonal task force to collect the assets of sanctioned companies and individuals and report them to the federal government.
Tännler does not want to comment on this. But he says: “We take the issue seriously in the government. The tax administration is in constant contact with the federal government.” The addition to the sanctions list from last week is now being processed.