Bergesen could be sold to Hong Kong buyer (Aftenposten)

Norway’s largest shipping line, Bergesen, could be sold to Hong Kong-based World Wide Shipping. Petter Sundt and Morten Bergesen are currently the company’s largest shareholders, and both are thought to be interested in selling the family-owned shipping line, whose roots stretch back to the early 19 ^th> century, if the price is right. Bergesen, regarded as the Norwegian shipping industry’s flagship, has a current market value of NOK 10 billion. World Wide Shipping probably has the financial muscle to acquire Bergesen, and already has a 13.7 per cent stake in the company. Concern is growing in the Norwegian shipping industry, which fears that an acquisition could lead to management of Bergesen being transferred to Singapore. Today Oslo-based Bergesen is a driving force in the capital’s shipping community.

No use complaining about police brutality (Dagsavisen)

96 per cent of all complaints referred to the Special Police Investigation Commission (SEFO) are dismissed without further legal action being taken. SEFO was established in 1988 to investigate complaints against police officers. Each year SEFO receives 600-700 complaints about police officers, and a recent report shows that on average only 30 of these end up going to court. For a long time SEFO has been accused of protecting its own – the police.

Alvheim to propose private ownership of hospitals (Klassekampen)

When the Storting debates this year’s budget in October, the future of Norwegian hospitals will be fiercely contested. John Alvheim (Progress Party) will propose that new hospitals should be built and run by private investors, who should rent out the facilities to the various regional health trusts. The Labour Party and the Socialist Left Party oppose Mr Alvheim’s proposal. "Labour will not support such a scheme," said Asmund Kristoffersen, who piloted the hospital reform bill through the Storting in 2001. Both the Labour Party and the Socialist Left Party hope that a majority of MPs will reject Mr Alvheim’s proposal.

Call for ban on illegal tropical hardwood (Aftenposten)

At least half of the tropical hardwood imported into Norway has been taken from the rainforest illegally. Environment Minister Børge Brende wants the construction industry to voluntarily halt the imports. Last year the construction industry imported tropical hardwood to the tune of NOK 120 million. Most of it was converted into such products as parquet flooring, doors, kitchen worktops, skirting boards, etc. According to Norwegian legislation it is not an offence to import tropical hardwood which has been felled illegally under Indonesian or Brazilian law. Mr Brende now wants to change this situation.

Large increase in prosecutions for white collar crime (Nationen)

In the first six months of the year the National Authority for Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime issued on-the-spot fines or initiated legal proceedings in 72 cases, compared to 78 cases in the whole of last year. Einar Høgetveit, who heads the Authority, attributes last year’s figures to the fact that his organization spent more time in court and therefore had less time to initiate as many prosecutions as this year. "The increasing number of cases being brought to court has little to do with the actual number of offences being committed, or the general trend in criminal activity," he said.

Røkke’s case not strengthened by revelations of blackmail attempt (Aftenposten)

The fact that Kjell Inge Røkke was the victim of a blackmail attempt will not in any way strengthen his case with regard to the corruption charges which have been brought against him, according to both Dag Paulsen, a police lawyer, and Stein Slettan, an expert in criminal law. Mr Røkke’s defence counsel, Ellen Holager Andenæs, says that Mr Røkke should make a statement to the police if that would assist the their investigation of the affair. In her opinion it is enough that the police are now investigating the blackmail attempt. Mr Røkke himself will not be pressing charges.

Hospital reform leaves Oslo’s citizens worse off (Dagsavisen)

More women will die of breast cancer and psychiatric care is being cut back. Seven months after the reform of the hospital sector its consequences are beginning to bite. "It seems as though any areas where we have had a better service than that offered in other local authorities are now being cut back. This is worrying. As a major city Oslo has other needs," said Ellen Christine Christiansen, the Oslo City Council’s Municipal Commissioner for Healthcare.

Worth Noting

• Russian journalist Sergei Pankratov was brought to Norway to make a horror movie about conditions at Norwegian refugee reception centres. "Conditions are alright. No one is going to be scared off by this," he said after his visit.
  (Aftenposten)
• Health Minister Dagfinn Høybråten is planning to force local authorities to improve the medical service provided in schools. They will be told in no uncertain terms – children and young people MUST be given priority.
  (Dagsavisen)
• This autumn limited companies in the agricultural sector will receive production subsidies for the first time, and the way is clear for private investors. "A regulatory framework which makes it easier to invest in the agricultural sector is a good thing. This is a step in the right direction to ensure rational farming operations," said Jens Ulltveit Moe, investor and president of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO).
  (Nationen)
• The strong Norwegian krone and the fact that there is no VAT on prescription medicines in Sweden are sending Norwegians across the border to purchase their pills. Dagbladet filled up its shopping basket with 15 different types of pharmaceuticals, including the ten most sold prescription drugs in Norway, and saved NOK 1,500.
  (Dagbladet)
• Statoil’s chief executive, Olav Fjell, asked the company’s US board member, Maury Devine, to consider her position at her very first board meeting in July. One month later she resigned from the board because of Statoil’s investments in Iran.
  (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Fixed-rate mortgages are now up to 0.5 percentage points cheaper than those with a floating interest rate. If the Norwegian Central Bank leaves interest rates unchanged today, it could be another good reason for borrowers to switch to a fixed rate.
  (Aftenposten)
• Mid-Norway has had the hottest May, June and July since meteorological records began in 1870. Yesterday the people of Trøndelag County enjoyed their 47 ^th> summer’s day of the year. (A summer’s day is defined as one in which the maximum temperature exceeds 20 ⁰>C.)
  ( Dagbladet)
• Experts believe the answer to Roald Amundsen’s mysterious disappearance could lie at the bottom of the sea, off Sommarøy in Troms County. Until now the circumstances surrounding Amundsen’s death have remained a mystery. The only thing that is know is that the polar explorer died in 1928, somewhere between Tromsø in northern Norway and Bear Island in the Arctic Ocean.
  (Dagbladet)

Today’s comment from Dagsavisen

The Norwegian government has put unusually heavy pressure on the UK to halt the radioactive emissions released by the Sellafield nuclear reprocessing plant. Environment Minister Børge Brende used the issue from day one to publicize himself and the Conservative Party’s new environmental policy. Mr Brende heightened the public’s fear of the Sellafield emissions, but gave the impression that he would manage to put a stop to them. Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik made the matter a key issue during his meeting with his British counterpart, Tony Blair, in May. But the UK now seems to have brushed aside both Mr Brende and Mr Bondevik. The British authorities have decided that the radioactive emissions from Sellafield will be allowed to continue for another ten years, despite the pressure which has been brought to bear by Ireland and Norway. It is nice to have a politician who takes a firm stand, as Mr Brende has done in this case, but so far he has only succeeded in doing two things. He has helped to increase the public’s fear of the radioactive pollution from Sellafield, which could damage Norwegian fishing interests, and he has exploited the issue to paint a picture of a strong and innovative Conservative minister in a ‘green’ government. Both these points could backfire on Børge Brende if he does not succeed in his battle against Sellafield.