ZURICH, March 6 (Reuters) - Switzerland’s central bank earned 1.52 billion Swiss francs ($1.51 billion) in 2016 from banks paying negative interest rates, it said on Monday, up from 1.16 billion francs in 2015. In its annual report, the Swiss National Bank also confirmed profit for 2016 of 24.5 billion francs, the bulk of which came from gains on its foreign currency holdings. The SNB is not required to make a profit, with its main mandate to ensure price stability in Switzerland. But a portion of any profit it does make is distributed to the Swiss government and the country’s 26 cantons. ($1 = 1.0084 Swiss francs) Reporting by Joshua Franklin
Swiss monetary Bank - FY2016 profit of interest ( $ 24.2bn ) , with a majority of the gains coming from its foreign currency holdings . The central bank is not permitted to make a profit however , a portion of any surplus is donated to the Swiss government and the country 's constituent banks .