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Article: Swiss voters reject social security revision
- Article from:
- AP Worldstream
- Article date:
- May 16, 2004
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AP Worldstream
05-16-2004
Dateline: BERN, Switzerland
Swiss voters Sunday overwhelmingly rejected a package aimed at keeping the country's social security system financially sound as people live longer and families have fewer children who will pay taxes.
According to official returns, two-thirds of the voters rejected the package, which included provisions to defer women's retirement to 65 years from 64 and to raise Switzerland's value-added tax.
"Social Security is solidly financed," said the committee of organizations opposed to the changes. "The system is in the black. There is no reason to reduce it."
The referendum, one of the frequent exercises in Swiss democracy in which voters can ...