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SAAB

National Debt Office approves Saab deal

The Swedish National Debt Office (Riksgälden) decided to approve Saab's request to sell shares in Saab Automobile.

National Debt Office approves Saab deal

“The state still has collateral to cover the guarantees provided, also without a pledge of shares in the current property,” wrote the office in a statement released on Tuesday.

The decision is now up to the government.

Car manufacturer Saab Automobile reported a loss of approximately 3 billion kronor ($478 million) for 2010, according to their annual report, on Tuesday registered with Swedish Companies Registration Office (Bolagsverket).

The operating profit landed on minus 3.1 billion kronor.

2010’s turnover was 6.3 billion kronor. Car sales numbered 28,284, plummeting from the previous year’s result, when 39,745 were sold, not to mention 2008, when roughly 93,000 cars were sold.

Sales and production were heavily affected by the events in early 2010, when the firm paused production during seven weeks.

One of the greatest challenges since then has been to replenish the supplies with resellers, as well as restoring reseller and customer faith in the brand. This has proved difficult, writes the company in their annual report.

SAAB Automobile list several uncertain factors for the company’s future: running out of cash during 2011, a risk of losing money due to raised interest rates, and currency changes that the company has no possibility of insuring themselves against, according to the annual report.

Accountants also point out the risks with the business.

“If the company does not succeed in securing requisite financing, or if there is a negative development for the company, continued operations will be uncertain,” write the accountants.

The government will make a decision on the matter based on the material they receive from the National Debt Office.

“We will look carefully at the material prepared by the National Debt Office,” said Johanna Martin of the Ministry of Enterprise to news agency TT.

She would not speculate into when a decision could be ready.

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MIGROS

Leading Swiss retailer axes 290 jobs

Migros, the biggest retailer in Switzerland, has announced it will cut 290 full-time jobs over the next three years following a drop in profit.

Leading Swiss retailer axes 290 jobs
teamtime/Depositphotos

The federation of cooperatives said in a statement it was making itself fit for the future and hoped to save 120 million francs through a restructuring of operations.

The majority of jobs will be lost through natural wastage and early retirement and reduced working hours but around 70 redundancies are expected, the retail giant said. 

The Migros cooperative currently employs 2,700 workers.

The business magazine Handelszeitung said most of the job cuts would hit marketing and IT departments.

It said Migros would be looking to reduce overcapacity and increase efficiency.

Profits at Migros were down 40 percent in 2017 despite the company posting record turnover.

The number one retailer in Switzerland ahead of Coop said the restructuring was less about cutting costs than about making funds available for future projects.

It also comes in response to the trend towards internet shopping and increased competition from international online retail businesses.

Migros was recently named most sustainable retailer in the world in a comparison of more than 150 companies, it reported earlier this month.