Immigration Directorate foot-dragging lets Russians stay (Aftenposten)

In direct contravention of government instructions one in four asylum-seekers from Russia and the Ukraine was last year granted leave to stay in this country. Foot-dragging and poor organization at the Immigration Directorate (UDI) was mainly to blame. The authorities have been asking the UDI for years to fast-track the processing of applications from Russian asylum-seekers. Yet despite this the UDI has repeatedly exceeded the 15-month deadline for processing applications, which means the applicant is automatically granted asylum on humanitarian grounds. A large number of travel agents in Russia and the Ukraine have been painting a rosy picture of life in Norway, which they describe as Europe’s most liberal country in which to apply for asylum, prompting the flood of applicants from these two countries.

Union demands right to veto contract workers (Klassekampen)

The deregulation of the labour market has put considerable strains on the agreement governing pay and working conditions between unions and employers in the construction industry, according to the Norwegian United Federation of Trade Unions. Many companies avoid having permanent employees. Now the unions are looking to change the situation and are demanding that local union reps should be given the right to veto management decisions to hire contract workers.

Norwegian soldiers fight on (Aftenposten)

The war against the al-Qaida continues even though ‘Operation Anaconda’ was formally concluded yesterday. Norwegian special forces will remain in Afghanistan, while their Danish counterparts are being recalled. The battle against the terrorist network has not finished and new operations are being planned. "It is probable that new operations will need to be mounted in other locations, although we have no details at the moment," said Captain Per Høiby, head of the Headquarters Defence Command press office.

Fishermen’s leader opens for new debate on EU membership (Verdens Gang)

Norway will have to review its stance on the EU if Iceland becomes a member, according to Reidar Nilsen, head of the Norwegian Fishermen’s Association. "Icelandic membership of the EU would create major problems for us. If they apply, we will have to take a fresh look at the situation. It could be expensive to be on the outside, said Mr Nilsen. "I think Iceland could negotiate a fisheries agreement they can live with. The EU recognizes that Iceland is a small country surrounded by ocean, which is completely dependent on its fishing industry. They could benefit greatly from EU membership," said Mr Nilsen.

SAS lost its battle over bonus points (Dagbladet)

Over a million Norwegians will lose fringe benefits worth millions of kroner when bonus points on domestic flights disappear. The winners in a bonus-free Norway will be public and private sector employers, and those who pay for their own tickets. The Norwegian Competition Authority yesterday announced that it would no longer be possible to earn bonus points on domestic flights from 1 May this year. SAS/Braathens are furious over the decision and have lodged a complaint with the Labour and Government Administration Ministry.

Norwegian investors slam government sell-off (Dagens Næringsliv)

Norsk Investorforum, which organizes private long-term investors in Norway, is highly critical of the Government’s planned sell-off of shares in state-owned companies. The organization, fronted by billionaire supermarket-owner Stein Erik Hagen, says the sell-off should wait until private investment groups are in place. "A quick sell-off is not very smart. Statoil and Telenor could be sold to foreign investors because there are no Norwegian investment groups which can compete. The shares may therefore be sold too cheaply. Before a massive state sell-off takes place, we must create a private investment environment in Norway. This must be the core of a new ownership strategy," said Per Morten Vigtel, of Norsk Investorforum, which counts Norway’s richest private investors among its members.

More cash in our pockets (Dagsavisen)

Lower direct and indirect taxes, low inflation and high wage rises mean we can look forward to a substantial jump in spending power in Norway. This positive view of the future is contained in an analysis of the Norwegian economy published yesterday by the Norwegian Financial Services Association (FNH). In future, household spending will be the most important driver for growth in the Norwegian economy, according to the FNH.

Worth Noting

• Following the crisis in the Labour Party, deputy leader Jens Stoltenberg has been considering whether or not to quit politics, it emerged when he met yesterday with over 100 of the Church City Mission’s leaders. (Dagsavisen)
• Norwegian city girls are getting tougher, and they are increasingly attracted by immigrant boys’ attitudes about honour and respect. Norwegian boys are perceived as withdrawn, cowardly and just as subservient as Pakistani girls. (Dagsavisen)
• County chairman Ronald Rindestu (Centre Party) wants Troms County to become a member of the EU scheme to boost cooperation between its coastal regions. "It is important to be where the decisions are made," the former opponent of EU membership told the newspaper Nordlys. (NTB)
• The Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board has voted by a narrow margin not to approve the use of therapeutic cloning, just one year after a majority of the board’s members gave the go-ahead for the use of this method to produce stem cells with which to treat patients. (Vårt Land)
• Over 70 per cent of Norwegian companies have unhappy or indifferent customers, while the proportion of customers who are extremely dissatisfied is growing. These and other conclusions will be published on Tuesday, when the Norwegian School of Management’s Institute of Marketing releases the results of its annual survey of customer attitudes, the Norwegian Customer Barometer. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Images showing the abuse of children are being found with increasing frequency among data files seized in connection with completely different offences. The National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime is now calling for stiffer sentences for the downloading of child pornography. (Nationen)
• For the third year running Bergen, Norway’s unofficial cruise capital, has won a prestigious industry award. The magazine Dream World Cruise Destination named Bergen as ‘The most responsive port in Northern Europe’. The fear of terrorist attack has had only a marginal impact on cruise traffic to the city. This season Bergen is expecting 190 cruise ships to put into port, just five less than last year’s record number. (Dagens Næringsliv)

Today’s comment from Dagsavisen

The Norwegian Competition Authority has decided that from 1 May this year airline passengers will no longer be able to earn bonus points on domestic flights. This means that SAS, Braathens and Widerøe, which in reality are one company, could lose some of their grip on the Norwegian business travel market. We hope that the decision will help encourage other airlines to go into competition with Norway’s new airline monopolist – so that customer demands for cheap flights will once again come into focus.