Covid-19 credits
The Federal Council and Parliament have provided companies in Switzerland with liquidity relief in order to help with the economic consequences of the coronavirus.
On this page, you will find information and data about COVID-19 credits for companies. To ensure liquidity, companies affected by the COVID-19 crisis were able to take advantage of bridging credits guaranteed by the federal government between March 26th and July 31st.
Table of contents
- Number and volume of COVID-19 bridging credits
- Repaid COVID-19 bridging credits
- Honoring on guarantees under the COVID-19 bridging credits
- Further analyses
- Reports of abuse
- Open cases after criminal complaint per canton
- Closed cases after criminal complaint
- Participating banks
- Legal basis
- Media releases
- Other information
- Media contact
Number and volume of COVID-19 bridging credits
Companies affected by the COVID-19 crisis were able to apply for bridging credits guaranteed by the federal government between 26 March and 31 July 2020 to ensure their liquidity. The table below shows the total number and volume of credits granted. Any credits that have already been repaid are not included here. All numbers are updated regularly.
| Number | Average amount in CHF | Total in CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| COVID-19 credit agreements | 136'554 | 102'000 | 13'900 Mio.* |
| COVID-19 credit plus | 1'130 | 2.7 Mio.** | 3'008 Mio.** |
| Total | 137'684 | 16'908 Mio. |
* Extrapolation from number of credit agreements and average amount
** The amount stated concerns the entire credit amount and not just the 85% guaranteed by the Swiss Confederation
Figures may vary due to legal provisions (Article 11(1) of the COVID-19 Joint and Several Ordinance (COVID-19-Solidarbürgschaftsverordnung)) and as a result of adjustments made after the submission deadline has passed.
Last updated: 03.03.2021
Repaid COVID-19 bridging credits
The table below shows the COVID-19 bridging credits fully repaid by the borrowers. The statistics include the cases of which the organisations have knowledge because they were informed by the banks. It is not exhaustive with regard to those repayments that have already been made without information to the guarantee organisations.
| Number | Total in CHF | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 7'584 | 1'572'181'037 |
Last updated: 03.03.2021
Honoring on guarantees under the COVID-19 bridging credits
The following table provides information on the honoring of guarantees under the COVID-19 bridging loan programme. These are COVID-19 loans for which the bank has drawn down the guarantee and thus transferred the claim against the borrower to the guarantee organisations.
| Number | Average amount in CHF | Total in CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1'422 | 79'818 | 113'421'785 |
Last updated: 03.03.2021
Further analyses
The following figures illustrate distributions of COVID-19 bridging credits for companies. They serve to provide background information and are updated at irregular intervals. The figures may therefore differ from the daily actual figures. These visualizations are based on data from the guarantee organizations. In order to exclude any conclusions about individual companies and to guarantee their anonymity, only aggregated data can be made available. Due to rounding, it is possible that the sum of the shares may not be 100%.
Status: 26.08.2020
Graphic for download: Number of credits by canton [png]
Graphic for download: Credit volume by canton [png]
Graphic for download: Number of credits by banking group [png]
Graphic for download: Credit volume by banking group [png]
Graphic for download: Top 10 banks by number of credits [png]
Graphic for download: Top 10 banks by credit volume [png]
Graphic for download: Number of credits by group of economic activities (NOGA section) [png]
Graphic for download: Credit volume by group of economic activities (NOGA section) [png]
Graphic for download: Top 10 sectors (NOGA division) by numbers of credits [png]
Graphic for download: Top 10 sectors (NOGA division) by credit volume (in CHF m) [png]
Graphic for download: Number of credits by legal form of the company [png]
Graphic for download: Credit volume by legal form of the company [png]
Graphic for download: Average credit amount by legal form of the company [png]
Graphic for download: Number of credits by company size (FTE) [png]
Graphic for download: Credit volume by company size (FTE) [png]
Graphic for download: Number of guaranteed credits by guarantee organisation [png]
Graphic for download: Guaranteed credit volume by guarantee organisation [png]
Reports of abuse
The table below contains potential and actual cases of abuse under the Verordnung zur Gewährung von Krediten und Solidarbürgschaften infolge des Coronavirus and the Bundesgesetz über Kredite mit Solidarbürgschaft infolge des Coronavirus (in German). Here you find the concept for the detection and prevention of abuse (in German). The statistics show the cases of which the loan guarantee cooperatives are aware, either because they have filed a criminal complaint themselves or because they have been informed about them by third parties. They are not complete with regard to criminal charges of which the loan guarantee cooperatives are not aware. The statistics are updated on an ongoing basis.
| Types of abuse (all types according to the ordinance) | In clarification | Abuse not confirmed | Correction without filing of criminal complaint | ||||
| Open cases | Closed cases | ||||||
| Number | Delinquency amount** | Number | Delinquency amount** | ||||
| Multiple applications (Art. 3, para. 1) | 39 | 102 | 205 | 90 | CHF 16'200'250 | 7 | CHF 600'100 |
| Date of foundation (Art. 3, para. 1, a.) | 48 | 111 | 162 | 9 | CHF 853'500 | 2 | CHF 80'600 |
| In bankruptcy, estate or liquidation (Art. 3, para. 1, b.) | 39 | 4 | 11 | 14 | CHF 1'103'359 | 4 | CHF 675'000 |
| Sales information (Art. 7, para. 1) | 2'734 | 157 | 353 | 97 | CHF 17'113'446 | 5 | CHF 290'000 |
| Support for other emergency regulations (Art. 3, para. 1, d.) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Use of credit in general and replacement investments (Art. 6, para. 1 und 2)1 | 394 | 17 | 27 | 420 | CHF 53'720'678 | 35 | CHF 2'689'401 |
| Use of credit dividends, refinancing, etc. (Art. 6, para. 3)2 | 301 | 189 | 761 | 19 | CHF 4'720'695 | 1 | CHF 248'000 |
| Others | 45 | 13 | 25 | 136 | CHF 17'405'753 | 4 | CHF 112'800 |
| Total | 3'601 | 593 | 1'544 | 785 | CHF 111'117'681 | 58 | CHF 4'695'901 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
*Including criminal complaints from third parties of which the loan guarantee cooperatives are aware.
**The reported delinquency amount corresponds to the volume of credits at the time they were granted. No account is taken of whether losses have effectively been incurred.
1 As of the commencement of the Covid-19-Solidarbürgschaftsgesetz (Covid-19-SBüG) (in German) on December 19, 2020, the prohibition to carry out new investments in fixed assets that are not replacement investments has been lifted (cf. Art. 27 para. 2 Covid-19-SBüG).
2 As of the commencement of the Covid-19-SBüG on December 19, 2020, already the decision on the payment of dividends is unlawful (cf. Art. 2 para. 2 lit. a Covid-19-SBüG and Official Bulletin: AB 2020 N 2040 of October 30, 2020, and AB 2020 S 1314 f. of December 10, 2020).
Last updated: 05.03.2021
In addition, the statistics from the Money Laundering Reporting Office (MROS) show all a) reports according to the Money Laundering Act or the Criminal Code, as well as b) the number of complaints filed by MROS with law enforcement agencies (according to Art. 23 para. 4 Money Laundering Act). The MROS statistics can show procedures that are also included in the above table of abuse reports.
Open cases after criminal complaint per canton
The statistics show the open cases after criminal complaints have been filed of which the loan guarantee cooperatives are aware, either because they filed the criminal complaints themselves or because they were informed about them by third parties. They are not complete with regard to criminal complaints of which the loan guarantee cooperatives have no knowledge. The statistics are updated on an ongoing basis.
| Canton | Criminal complaint filed: open cases* | |
| Number | Delinquency amount** | |
| AG | 64 | CHF 8'299'092 |
| AI | 0 | 0 |
| AR | 12 | CHF 1'226'700 |
| BE | 68 | CHF 6'164'062 |
| BL | 23 | CHF 3'411'387 |
| BS | 23 | CHF 4'007'997 |
| FR | 13 | CHF 2'164'400 |
| GE | 64 | CHF 9'010'036 |
| GL | 2 | CHF 1'000'000 |
| GR | 12 | CHF 1'208'000 |
| JU | 3 | CHF 181'000 |
| LU | 32 | CHF 6'314'040 |
| NE | 5 | CHF 273'975 |
| NW | 6 | CHF 1'112'900 |
| OW | 4 | CHF 550'355 |
| SG | 28 | CHF 2'315'506 |
| SH | 5 | CHF 1'124'000 |
| SO | 17 | CHF 2'049'063 |
| SZ | 25 | CHF 3'620'846 |
| TG | 11 | CHF 1'802'000 |
| TI | 90 | CHF 10'347'225 |
| UR | 5 | CHF 219'640 |
| VD | 84 | CHF 14'240'079 |
| VS | 16 | CHF 1'489'894 |
| ZG | 27 | CHF 6'379'259 |
| ZH | 146 | CHF 22'606'225 |
| Total | 785 | CHF 111'117'681 |
|---|---|---|
*Including criminal complaints filed by third parties of which the loan guarantee cooperatives are aware.
**The reported delinquency amount corresponds to the volume of credits at the time they were granted. No account is taken of whether losses have effectively been incurred.
Last updated: 05.03.2021
Closed cases after criminal complaint
The statistics below show the closed cases following a criminal complaint of which the loan guarantee cooperatives are aware, either because they filed the criminal complaints themselves or because they have been informed about them by third parties. They are not complete with regard to criminal complaints of which the loan guarantee cooperatives have no knowledge. The statistics are updated on an ongoing basis.
| Types of abuse (all types according to the ordinance) | No criminal proceedings: Non-prosecution | |||||
| Innocent | Reparation | Guilty | ||||
| Number | Number | Delinquency amount* | Number | Delinquency amount* | ||
| Multiple applications (Art. 3, para. 1) | 0 | 1 | 1 | CHF 6'500 | 5 | CHF 568'600 |
| Date of foundation (Art. 3, para. 1, a.) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | CHF 80'600 |
| In bankruptcy, estate or liquidation (Art. 3, para. 1, b.) | 0 | 2 | 1 | CHF 20'000 | 1 | CHF 30'000 |
| Sales information (Art. 7, para. 1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | CHF 245'000 |
| Support for other emergency regulations (Art. 3, para. 1, d.) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Use of credit in general and replacement investments (Art. 6, para. 1 und 2)1 | 2 | 8 | 6 | CHF 277'624 | 19 | CHF 1'298'477 |
| Use of credit dividends, refinancing, etc. (Art. 6, para. 3)2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Others | 0 | 1 | 1 | CHF 10'800 | 2 | CHF 95'000 |
| Total | 2 | 14 | 9 | CHF 314'924 | 33 | CHF 2'317'677 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
*The reported delinquency amount corresponds to the volume of credits at the time they were granted. No account is taken of whether losses have effectively been incurred.
1 As of the commencement of the Covid-19-Solidarbürgschaftsgesetz (Covid-19-SBüG) (in German) on December 19, 2020, the prohibition to carry out new investments in fixed assets that are not replacement investments has been lifted (cf. Art. 27 para. 2 Covid-19-SBüG).
2 As of the commencement of the Covid-19-SBüG on December 19, 2020, already the decision on the payment of dividends is unlawful (cf. Art. 2 para. 2 lit. a Covid-19-SBüG and Official Bulletin: AB 2020 N 2040 of October 30, 2020, and AB 2020 S 1314 f. of December 10, 2020).
Last updated: 05.03.2021
Legal basis
- Bundesgesetz über Kredite mit Solidarbürgschaft infolge des Coronavirus (german) (18/12/2020)
- Botschaft zu Änderungen des Covid-19-Gesetzes und des Covid-19-Solidarbürgschaftsgesetzes (german) (18/11/2020)
- Botschaft zum Bundesgesetz über Kredite mit Solidarbürgschaft infolge des Coronavirus (german) (18/09/2020)
- Gesetzesentwurf über Kredite mit Solidarbürgschaft infolge des Coronavirus (german) (18/09/2020)
- Erläuternder Bericht der zum Covid-19-Solidarbürgschaftsgesetz (german) (01/07/2020)
- Gesetzestext der Vernehmlassung zum Covid-19-Solidarbürgschaftsgesetz (german) (01/07/2020)
- Joint guarantees emergency ordinance (25/03/2020)
- Explanatory notes to the emergency ordinance (14/04/2020)
Media releases
- Media release of 17/02/2021
Coronavirus: Bundesrat erweitert Unterstützung für grössere Unternehmen und Arbeitslose - Media release of 27/01/2021
Coronavirus: Bundesrat stockt Härtefallprogramm auf und stärkt Arbeitslosenversicherung - Media release of 13/01/2021:
Coronavirus: Bund baut Unterstützung über das Härtefallprogramm aus - Media release of 18/11/2020:
Coronavirus: Federal Council adjusts COVID-19 support measures to second wave - Media release of 18/09/2020:
Coronavirus: Federal Council adopts dispatch on new Joint and Several Guarantee Act - Media release of 01/07/2020:
Coronavirus: Emergency ordinance on COVID-19 credits to be incorporated into ordinary law - Media release of 15/05/2020:
COVID-19 Kredite: Konzept zur Missbrauchsbekämpfung verabschiedet (with first version of the audit concept for preventing abuse) - Media release of 03/04/2020:
Federal Council increases volume of liquidity assistance guarantees to CHF 40 billion - Media release of 25/03/2020:
Coronavirus: Federal Council adopts emergency ordinance on granting of credits with joint and several federal guarantees - Media release of 20/03/2020:
Coronavirus: Massnahmenpaket zur Abfederung der wirtschaftlichen Folgen
Other information
- Stellungnahmen aus der Vernehmlassung zum Covid-19-Solidarbürgschaftsgesetz (german)
- Current version of the audit concept for preventing abuse (german) (23/06/2020)
- COVID-19 bridging relief: FAQ
- COVID-19 bridging relief: further information
- Process graphic ” COVID-19 credit”
- Process graphic “COVID-19 plus credit”
- Fuhrer, Lucas Marc/Ramelet, Marc-Antoine/Tenhofen, Jörn (2020). Firms’ participation in the COVID-19 loan programme, SNB Working Papers No. 25/2020, Swiss National Bank.
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