Profit distribution NBS
The Swiss National Bank (SNB) distributes part of its profits to the Confederation and cantons. This distribution is set out in an agreement between the Federal Department of Finance and the SNB. This enables the medium-term planning of distributions and supports federal and cantonal financial planning.
Under the National Bank Act, the SNB is obliged to form provisions from its annual surplus in order to maintain the currency reserves at the level required for monetary policy purposes. The profit remaining after allocating funds to provisions is generally available for distribution to the Confederation and the cantons. To ensure medium-term stabilisation, the FDF and SNB always set out the distribution parameters in an agreement that covers several years. This facilitates financial planning for the Confederation and the cantons.