Tax cuts for the poorest (Dagsavisen)

Next Friday Finance Minister Per-Kristian Foss will present the Government’s adjusted proposal for next year’s national budget, which will include increased assistance for the poor in Norway. The fight against poverty is one of the main planks in the new budget proposal. The Government is staking everything on beating the Labour Party on the social democrats’ home ground. Bondevik and his team will probably stump up several hundred million kroner to improve the living standards of those in the lowest income groups. The Government has promised NOK 31 billion in tax cuts over the next four years. We will see only a cautious start to this policy next year.

Bondevik slams door on Siv Jensen (Dagsavisen)

The Christian Democrats and Liberals are not prepared to wait and see what direction Siv Jensen will take the Progress Party when she takes over from Carl I. Hagen as chairman. Any Progress Party participation in the coalition is out of the question for the duration of the current parliamentary term – regardless. "For me it would be unthinkable for us to share office with the Progress Party during this term. It doesn’t matter who the chairman of the party is. It has no effect on our view about who we wish to collaborate with in government," said Odd Anders With, deputy chairman of the Christian Democratic Party. But he has no clear answer as to whether such a collaboration could be feasible after the 2005 general election. "A coalition with the Progress Party is not on our agenda," is all he would say.

Politicians under 40 secure full pension rights (Aftenposten)

MPs and government ministers can qualify for a full pension before their fortieth birthday. A clear majority of MPs in the Storting yesterday rejected a proposal to change this extremely advantageous pension scheme. 23 sitting MPs have already qualified for a full pension. It takes most people 40 years to qualify for a full pension.

Call for Røkke to scupper Kværner rescue package (Verdens Gang)

Senior employee representative and member of Aker RGI’s board of directors, Leif Furre, is recommending that Kjell Inge Røkke scupper Yukos Oil’s plan to rescue Kværner. "In my opinion, Aker Maritime and Mr Røkke should not spend one more kroner on Kværner before Aker Maritime has secured full control over how that money is to be used," said Mr Furre, who is one of the most experienced employee representatives in the country, with close links to the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO).

Good Yukos solution (Dagsavisen)

Den norske Bank (DnB) and the other banks look like emerging from the Kværner crisis with far smaller losses than previously feared. If the proposed rescue package is approved, DnB estimates that its total losses will not exceed NOK 37 million. The bank does not fear incurring additional losses.

The sky’s the limit for Norske Skog (Aftenposten)

Paper manufacturer Norske Skog has managed what a lot of companies can only dream of – they are making money. Both sales revenues and profits are rising – steeply. When Jan Reinås moved to the company in 1994, Norske Skog had operating revenues of not quite NOK 9 billion. By the end of this year revenues will exceed NOK 30 billion. "We are making life easier for ourselves by concentrating on one core business – paper production," said Mr Reinås.

Woman becomes country’s top civil servant (Aftenposten)

Supreme Court judge Nina Frisak is to be appointed secretary general of the Prime Minister’s Office, and will therefore become the country’s top civil servant. "I think this is a challenging appointment," was Ms Frisak’s terse comment. Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik’s political staff is also led by a woman. State Secretary Kari Husøy is chief of staff at the Prime Minister’s Office. She expects Ms Frisak’s appointment will be confirmed very shortly.

Worth Noting

• Almost 80 per cent of drug addicts suffered from psychological disorders before they become substance abusers, according to a survey carried out in Oppland and Hedmark counties. Calls have now been made for a treatment scheme whose therapy programmes link these two factors. (Aftenposten)

• The Defence Minister probably has the backing of a majority in the Storting for her proposal to pay for new fighter and transport planes out of the Government Petroleum Fund’s investment returns. (Aftenposten)
• The Government has given the go-ahead for SAS to acquire Braathens. But SAS is threatening to call off the deal if the authorities also demand that the company drop its frequent flyer bonus scheme and key account agreements. (Aftenposten)
• It may cost a fortune, but the quality of Norwegian meat is world class. Together with our neighbours Sweden and Finland, we produce some of the healthiest pork, beef and lamb which it is possible to find. (Verdens Gang)

Today’s comment from Dagsavisen

Rumour has it that Carl I. Hagen will step down as Progress Party chairman at the party’s annual conference next year. How many times have we heard that before? Each time Mr Hagen has confounded the rumours of his political death by standing for re-election as party chairman, to the delight of his supporters and the despair of his opponents. And each time the party has confirmed him in office with a standing ovation. The next annual meeting will do the same if Mr Hagen decides he wants another term. That we now believe there may be more substance to the rumours this time is due to the situation in which the Progress Party currently finds itself. After the brutal purge of the previous parliamentary term there is calm in the Progress Party’s parliamentary ranks. Moreover, the party had a good election result and has never before had such political influence at the national level. For the first time since the party was established 30 years ago, a Norwegian government has made itself dependent on the Progress Party. And Carl I. Hagen has found an able successor in Siv Jensen. She does not have Mr Hagen’s strength as a TV politician and parliamentarian – but then, who does? Despite the fact that we oppose practically everything Mr Hagen stands for politically, we are going to miss him. He has always been our favourite opponent. No, things just won’t be the same with Siv Jensen.