FDF
Protecting against cyberrisk is a matter for the boss: Florian Schütz, the Federal Cyber Security Delegate, reports directly to the head of the FDF.
Ueli Maurer is the Head of the FDF. He has been a Federal Councillor since 2009.
Putting a stop to the cybercriminals
Hacker attacks on IT infrastructures are unfortunately part of everyday life today. In order to avoid the annoyance and costs that are inevitably associated with such attacks, all companies and private users are required to assume their own responsibility. But the state also wants to become more involved in this area in order to support the population and businesses in protecting against cyberrisks. In the future, the federal government will have a National Cyber Security Centre, where all aspects will converge. This will be led by a Federal Cyber Security Delegate who will report directly to the head of the FDF. The National Cyber Security Centre bundles the existing expertise and is the contact point for private individuals, the business community and universities.
«Cybersecurity – a challenge for private individuals and the state»
Implementing international rules on tax transparency
In autumn 2018, Switzerland began exchanging tax information with various partner states. The so-called automatic exchange of information (AEOI) is intended to improve tax transparency and thus prevent cross-border tax evasion. Currently, more than 100 countries - including all major financial centres - have committed themselves to implementing the AEOI. The Federal Council regularly checks whether the partner states comply with the requirements of the international AEOI standard. This ensures that Switzerland does not transmit any data to countries that do not meet or violate the internationally agreed requirements with respect to confidentiality and security of the data exchanged.
Paying due attention to finances
The federal budget, now with a volume of CHF 75 billion, is currently on a sound basis. It was possible to use the surpluses achieved in recent years for debt reduction. Since its peak in 2005, the debt burden has been reduced from CHF 130 billion to CHF 99 billion and considerable amounts could be saved on interest expenditure. But above all, fiscal policy must look to the future: in view of the large number of major projects, it remains a challenge to ensure that the budget remains balanced. The Federal Council and Parliament continue to be called upon to maintain spending discipline.
Federal Department of FinanceFDF
The FDF collects taxes and duties, and checks the movement of persons and goods at the border. It also provides services for the entire Federal Administration, ranging from IT to human resources and infrastructure support. The FDF fine-tunes its tax and fiscal policies to ensure the efficiency of the Confederation and Switzerland as a business location.
| Expenses 2018 |
15.45 billion |
| Staff (full-time positions) 2018 |
8701 |
General Secretariat GS-FDF
The General Secretariat acts as the intermediary between the head of department and the federal offices, and between the cantons, journalists and communication officers. It plans and coordinates the department’s items of business for Parliament and the Federal Council. It provides information to the public about all Federal Council and FDF business.
State Secretariat for International Financial Matters SIF
SIF represents Switzerland’s interests in financial, monetary and tax matters in partner countries and in international bodies. It is committed to maintaining good framework conditions to ensure that Switzerland can be a secure, competitive and globally recognised financial centre and location for business. SIF is also responsible for implementing the Federal Council’s financial market policy.
Federal Finance Administration FFA
The FFA is the guardian of the public purse and ensures that the federal government can meet its payment obligations. It prepares the federal government’s budget, finance plan and financial statements. The debt brake, a critical look at the departments’ financial conduct and consideration of the economic situation are the bedrock for a sound fiscal policy.
Federal Office of Personnel FOPER
As an employer, the federal government is facing stiff competition from other companies. FOPER is responsible for the federal government’s personnel and pension policy. FOPER ensures that the Federal Administration remains a competitive employer.
Federal Tax Administration FTA
The FTA raises a major part of the Confederation’s receipts and so ensures that the Confederation can perform its public duties. It therefore collects VAT, direct federal tax, withholding tax, stamp duty and military service exemption tax. The FTA also provides international administrative assistance in tax matters.
Federal Customs Administration FCA
The FCA makes sure the cross-border movement of goods and persons is as smooth as possible. Custom officers are responsible for overseeing the movement of goods. The Border Guard is the uniformed and armed section of the FCA. It handles security, customs and migration tasks. The FCA also collects VAT, mineral oil tax and tobacco duty. At the beginning of 2018, the Swiss Alcohol Board was incorporated into the Federal Customs Administration FCA, where it now oversees the implementation of alcohol legislation as the Alcohol and Tobacco Division.
Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunications FOITT
As the federal competence centre for IT, the FOITT provides support for business processes in the Federal Administration and ensures the proper functioning of telecommunications between all federal offices in Switzerland and abroad. The FOITT plays a key role in providing an electronic link between the Confederation and the public.
Federal Office for Buildings and Logistics FOBL
The FOBL builds, maintains and manages the federal government’s civilian properties, which include the Federal Palace, administrative buildings and the Swiss embassies around the world. As the central procurement office, it buys IT resources, office equipment and publications for the entire Federal Administration.
Federal IT Steering Unit FITSU
The FITSU is responsible for implementing the information and communication technologies strategy in the Federal Administration. It also works with the Confederation, cantons and communes to coordinate the implementation of the e-Government Strategy Switzerland and manages the Reporting and Analysis Centre for Information Assurance (MELANI).
Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA
FINMA provides the effective, competent and independent oversight which is necessary for the supervision of the financial sector. It is committed to protecting creditors, investors and insured persons, and monitors the financial markets’ ability to function. FINMA supervises banks, insurance companies, stock exchanges and funds requiring authorisation.
Swiss Federal Audit Office SFAO
The SFAO is the Confederation’s supreme audit institution. It is an independent institution and audits the financial conduct of the Federal Administration, the courts and the numerous semi-state organisations. It inspects the Confederation’s state financial statements annually. It aims to ensure that tax revenue is used economically and effectively.
Federal Pension Fund PUBLICA
As a non-profit collective occupational pension fund, PUBLICA manages assets totalling around CHF 38 billion. With 64,000 insured persons and 42,000 pension recipients, PUBLICA is one of the largest pension funds in Switzerland.
