Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical Office FSO The Creation of a Unique Business Identification Number in Switzerland OECD – 25 November 2008 Pascal Utz

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical Office FSO List of contents • Goals of Enterprise Identification Number (UID) • The Situation in Switzerland • The UID Register • Advantages and Challenges • Schedule The creation of a unique enterprise number in Switzerland | Wiesbaden Group on Business Registers – 25 November 2008 Pascal Utz 2

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical Office FSO Current Situation in Switzerland Almost every administrative register today has its own identification number • Duplications • Inefficient processes • High costs • Limited exchange of information among administrative agencies • Slow processes The creation of a unique enterprise number in Switzerland | Wiesbaden Group on Business Registers – 25 November 2008 Pascal Utz 3

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical Office FSO Goals of enterprise identification number (UID) • Reducing time and money expenses for enterprises • Developing e-government • Lower costs for the public authorities • Making administrative registers more up-to-date • Better cooperation among administrations • National coordination instead of cantonal solutions • Reduction of different identification numbers The creation of a unique enterprise number in Switzerland | Wiesbaden Group on Business Registers – 25 November 2008 Pascal Utz 4

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical Office FSO Administrative Registers • No national business register • Each administrative register only covers part of the businesses • Different definitions of a business enterprise • Registers tend to be managed at a regional level The creation of a unique enterprise number in Switzerland | Wiesbaden Group on Business Registers – 25 November 2008 Pascal Utz 5

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical Office FSO The Business and Enterprise Register (BER) • Statistical Register • Nearly complete • Up to date • Many data sources • Established processes The creation of a unique enterprise number in Switzerland | Wiesbaden Group on Business Registers – 25 November 2008 Pascal Utz 6

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical Office FSO The UID Register • Administrative register • The BER as a reference register • Physically separate from the BER • Limited number of variables • Some variables are publicly accessible • Other variables are only accessible to the public authorities The creation of a unique enterprise number in Switzerland | Wiesbaden Group on Business Registers – 25 November 2008 Pascal Utz 7

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical Office FSO Advantages for Business and Enterprise Register Additional sources of information: • More up-to-date data • Comprehensiveness • Simpler data collection through single identifier Better economic statistics The creation of a unique enterprise number in Switzerland | Wiesbaden Group on Business Registers – 25 November 2008 Pascal Utz 8

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical Office FSO Challenges • Lack of legal foundations • Defining an business enterprise • High time pressure • Public access to the UID register (Data protection) • Verification of data • Data quality and guarantee of quality The creation of a unique enterprise number in Switzerland | Wiesbaden Group on Business Registers – 25 November 2008 Pascal Utz 9

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical Office FSO Schedule Putting into effect of UID law: 1 January 2011 UID in the administrative registers 2011 – 2013 (1 st part) 2011 – 2016 (2 nd part) Replacement of existing indicators 2011 – 2016 The creation of a unique enterprise number in Switzerland | Wiesbaden Group on Business Registers – 25 November 2008 Pascal Utz 10

Federal Department of Home Affairs FDHA Federal Statistical Office FSO Thank you for your attention The creation of a unique enterprise number in Switzerland | Wiesbaden Group on Business Registers – 25 November 2008 Pascal Utz 11