Fast-track deportation for asylum seekers (Aftenposten)

The Local Government and Regional Affairs Ministry is planning to implement measures to ensure that bogus asylum seekers can be shipped out of the country no later than 48 hours after arriving in Norway. The Ministry intends to set up a ‘fast-track’ reception centre somewhere between Oslo and the country’s main airport at Gardermoen. "Even though the number of bogus asylum seekers has fallen, this group remains far too large," said State Secretary Kristin Ørmen Johnsen. She wants to re-establish the reputation of real asylum seekers. "Today the term asylum seeker is held in poor regard by large parts of the population," she said.

Teachers throw in the towel (Dagsavisen)

Only five per cent of teachers can stand the strain of working until the official retiring age of 67, according to a recent report from the Union of Education Norway. At primary and lower secondary school levels there are almost no teachers over 60. The teachers blame this on a fast pace, a lot of noise and too much to do. They are therefore bowing out of the profession at a record young age. Asbjørn Grimsmo, a researcher on employment issues, believes that the reason that so few teachers last out is that their role has undergone major changes. The most obvious of these is a lower social status and a greater number of different work-related tasks.

Government denounces opposition over pre-school millions (NTB)

The Government has accused the opposition parties of fiddling the books after the Labour Party, Progress Party, Centre Party and Socialist Left Party joined forces in the Storting to vote an additional NOK 135 million allocation to the pre-school day-care sector in next year’s budget. According to the Government this is money which should have been used to finance the additional cash benefit for children under three. The opposition says it voted to give the money to pre-school nurseries to avoid price rises next year. The parties are giving NOK 100 million to privately run nurseries and NOK 35 million to those run by local authorities. "Labour was previously a party you could do business with, but now they too are helping to undermine the Storting’s budget process. That is something I find very regrettable," said Jan Tore Sanner, economic policy spokesman for the Conservative Party.

Jagland wants EU membership as focus for 2005 election campaign (NTB)

In an article published in the Labourite A-presse group of newspapers, former Labour leader Thorbjørn Jagland says that, ahead of the next general election, the parties should say whether they think another application for EU membership should be sent during the subsequent parliamentary term. If the voters want a new application to be sent, they should vote for the parties that support such a move. If they want Norway to remain outside the EU, they should vote for anti-EU candidates. Mr Jagland, who is chairman of the Storting’s Foreign Affairs Committee, says that in this way the voters can put together a Storting which "they find appropriate for dealing with the question of EU membership".

Oslo holds key to EU membership (Klassekampen)

18 per cent of Oslo’s inhabitants do not know what to think about EU membership. Nowhere else in the country has a larger proportion of don’t-knows on the issue, according to figures published by opinion pollsters Sentio-Norsk Statistikk. Opposition to EU membership is also weak in Oslo, with only 22 per cent of the capital’s inhabitants saying they are against Norway joining the EU.

Norway to cut import duties by NOK 250 million – gets NOK 60 million back (Nationen)

Norway has agreed to cut import duties on agricultural products from the EU by NOK 250 million, while the country can at most earn NOK 60 million on its exports to the EU. This is the result of negotiations which Norway and the EU will sign tomorrow. According to the latest draft for a new EEA Agreement, Norway will cut import duties on everything from cheese and butter to meat, lettuce and flowers from the EU.

Tønne steps down (Dagens Næringsliv)

Tore Tønne has elected to resign from Kværner’s board of directors. Mr Tønne, who is deputy chairman, denies that he is not impartial, but has decided to step down as a result of the enormous media coverage of the case. Mr Tønne no longer sees any point in being a board member when this is to the detriment of the company. Kjell Inge Røkke has said he will publish a "clear and detailed account" of the Tønne affair after Aker Kværner’s board meeting today.

DnB in talks with troubled Nordlandsbanken (Aftenposten)

The troubled north Norwegian bank, Nordlandsbanken, has contacted Den norske Bank (DnB) in the hope that DnB will take it under its wing. A centrally placed source has admitted that there have been talks between DnB and Nordlandsbanken. He believes DnB will decide whether or not to acquire Nordlandsbanken before the end of the year. Nordlandsbanken is in danger of sinking after suffering the biggest blow seen in the banking industry since the bank crisis of the early 1990s. The bank has lost NOK 804 million and is sorely in need of a salvage operation. Departing chief executive Nils Moe leaves the bank wearing a life-vest worth NOK 7.5 million.

Color Line orders world’s largest cruise ferry (Aftenposten)

It is with enthusiasm tempered with a certain amount of trepidation that Color Line’s Olav Nils Sunde has ordered the construction of a new Kiel ferry at a cost of just over NOK 2 billion. However, Kværner’s chairman, Kjell Inge Røkke, was very happy yesterday morning when he signed the contract to build the ship, the Kronprins Harald. The contract also includes a letter of intent to build a sister ship.

Call for rules on politicians’ "waiting pay" to be tightened up (Aftenposten)

A number of the parties’ younger politicians have reacted sharply to the news that former politicians are using the salary they receive from the Storting while they are supposed to be looking for new jobs to study full time. "It is appalling that we enjoy better benefits than other people. The rules must be brought into line with those applicable elsewhere in society. Restrictions on the use of ‘waiting pay’ have become far too lax," said Inga Marte Thorkildsen (Socialist Left Party). According to Ine Marie Eriksen, leader of the Young Conservatives and a Conservative MP, it is absurd that some former politicians receive ‘waiting pay’ over a period of several years while they top up their education.

Worth Noting

• According to Jan Davidsen, leader of the Norwegian Union of Municipal Employees, local authorities should be banned from speculating in the stock market by making short-term investments in individual shares or unit trusts. "It has been shown to be an extremely bad move," he said.
  (Verdens Gang)
• While Foreign Minister Jan Petersen is opposed to Norwegian companies investing in occupied Western Sahara, the National Insurance Fund, led by Tore Lindholt, is increasing its stake in a controversial Norwegian project in that country.
  (Dagbladet)
• Danish-owned Fokus Bank has its eye on Nordlandsbanken. Den Danske Bank, which acquired Trondheim-based Fokus four years ago, could take a huge bite out of the Norwegian banking services market.
  (Verdens Gang)
• Siv Jensen and the Progress Party have been given much of the credit for Olav Nils Sunde and Color Line’s decision to order the construction of the world’s largest cruise ferry, at a cost of just over NOK 2.2 billion. The continuation of the net wages scheme for employees of Norwegian-owned passenger ferry companies was crucial to Color Line’s decision to sign the deal with Kværner. This issue was clarified when the Progress Party and the ruling coalition parties concluded a budget agreement.
  (Dagens Næringsliv)
• A recent survey shows that Norwegian households spend more on cultural activities and holidays than on food.
  (Dagbladet)
• Norway’s characteristic brown cheese will look different in the new year. It will have a chocolate cow in the middle! The secret process of developing a new brown cheese has taken place at TINE’s research establishment at Voll in Jæren.
  (Aftenposten)

Today’s comment from Dagens Næringsliv

During his various terms as Energy Minister, Trade and Industry Minister and Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg deregulated the Norwegian electricity market. Now the Labour leader is shocked that today’s Energy Minister, Einar Steensnæs, has "washed his hands of responsibility" for this autumn’s electricity price hike. Mr Stoltenberg’s attack lacks force, however, because the only emergency measure he is proposing is to allow the poor to defer payment (at a benevolent rate of interest) of the NOK 4,000-5,000 in extra electricity costs which are expected to hit many families. He also wants electricity prices to be differentiated in time bands throughout the day. This is a good suggestion, though expensive. The reason Mr Stoltenberg did not implement it himself during the many years he was in power could be due to its price tag – all Norwegian households would have to change their electricity metres. A crisis like this autumn’s should stimulate the development of a coherent energy policy which, but it is unlikely to do so. When the spring rains start splashing down, yesterday’s bills will be forgotten. This has been an exceptionally cold and dry autumn. The real long-term forecast is for warmer, wetter weather – with electricity bills to match. ( Editor’s note: Norway’s electricity is almost entirely generated by hydro-electric power plants. The dry autumn has left HEP reservoirs at a low level, and led to a substantial rise in domestic electricity prices.)