LABOUR ABANDONS STATOIL COMPROMISE (Aftenposten)

The Labour Party leadership, battered by a succession of crises, have given up the effort to forge a Statoil compromise to present prior to the national convention in November. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland have both staked much of their prestige on effecting a partial privatization of the state-owned oil company. It now seems evident that they count on forcing the issue at the national convention instead of achieving a compromise. If they are defeated, the privatization issue is likely to be dropped before it reaches the Storting.

MASSIVE LOBBY AIMED AT THE POLITICAL CENTRE (Dagsavisen)

The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO), the national shareholders’ association, the taxpayer’s association and corporate pioneers in the IT industry have launched an intensive lobbying campaign aimed at convincing the Centre Party, Liberals and Christian Democrats to reject the dividends tax. The Stoltenberg Government’s proposal to tax dividends at 14 per cent has enraged a large part of the Norwegian business community.

LABOUR OUT TO GET TAX EVADERS (Dagens Næringsliv)

Small companies with working owners have by and large managed to evade the effects of the split-income taxation mechanism that has been in effect for the past few years. By various means they have been able to reduce their tax bills substantially, and this is an important reason behind the Government’s move to tax dividends. Forty-six per cent of all Norwegian corporations were subject to split-income taxation in 1994. By 1998 this figure was down to 33 percent.

20 PER CENT RULE MAY BE ABOLISHED (Aftenposten)

The Government may do away with the prerequisite that voluntary organizations must put up a certain percentage as a condition for receiving government funding for development projects in third world countries. The organizations have always had to provide 20 percent of the cost of a project in order to qualify for government grants, but this rule may soon be a thing of the past.

ANTI-EU SENTIMENT STILL STRONGEST (Dagsavisen)

Forty-six per cent of the voters are against Norwegian membership of the EU and 44 per cent are for, according to a recent poll by AC Nielsen. Ten per cent are uncertain or don’t know how they would vote if a referendum were held tomorrow. Labour Party chairman Thorbjørn Jagland has asked for political latitude to raise the issue in the coming electoral term. The turbulence caused by his request has not led to any increase in popular support for Norwegian EU membership. If anything, the opposite has happened.

SUPPORT FOR EU MEMBERSHIP STRONGEST AMONG YOUNG VOTERS (Nationen)

Norwegian Eurosceptics have not succeeded in attracting doubters in the 18 - 24 year age group to their cause. Most young voters who have made up their minds are in favour of EU membership. There are 380,000 voters in this age group, putting it at 11 per cent of the electorate. Forty-five per cent of those asked replied that they would vote for EU membership. Only 38 per cent say they would vote against, while 15 per cent have not formed an opinion.

WORTH NOTING

• The Kursk tragedy has strengthened ties and led to greater openness between Russia and Norway, in the view of Foreign Minister Thorbjørn Jagland, who now proposes to promote increased cooperation with Russia. (Aftenposten)
• With only a month left until the ballot, it has proven impossible to enlist Nordic support for Knut Vollebæk’s candidacy for the post as UN High Commissioner for Refugees. Denmark and Finland have both informed Mr. Jagland that they cannot support Mr. Vollebæk’s candidacy. (Aftenposten)
• Truckers have announced their intention to hold further demonstrations. They maintain that 30,000 transport industry jobs are in jeopardy if fuel prices do not come down. Industry representatives will meet with Minister of Finance Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen, who will be told that they will park their trucks if diesel taxes are not reduced to Swedish levels. (Nationen)
• Oilworker unions working to promote the partial privatization of Statoil are stoutly opposed by other unions in the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO). The LO is thus unlikely to offer a unanimous opinion at the upcoming Labour national convention. (Aftenposten)
• The Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO) is having a hard time deciding whether it should get involved in the salaries paid by its members to their senior executives. The executive committee voted yesterday to bring the issue up for discussion again at the end of October. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Five armed robbers who took NOK 19 million from Den norske Bank’s cash centre on 14 August could have got away with much more, but they lost around NOK 3 million making their escape. (Verdens Gang)
• His Majesty King Harald says Crown Prince Haakon’s cohabitation with Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby is no problem for the Palace as long as it is not prolonged. His Majesty hopes they will soon get married, though he declines to indicate any date. (Aftenposten)
• Crown Prince Haakon’s domestic arrangements have had a negative impact on Christian Democratic politicians’ view of the Monarchy. As they see it, what the Crown Prince is doing undermines the Monarchy. (Vårt Land)
• Never before have there been so few smokers in Norway. Smokers now account for only 32 per cent of the population – the lowest figure on record since registration began in 1973. (Verdens Gang)

TODAY’S COMMENT from Aftenposten

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Knut Vollebæk has a natural talent for international affairs. With his command of languages, his diplomatic experience, his energy and his ability to relate to people from all types of backgrounds, few others can match his acumen in the international arena. This makes him the ideal candidate for UN High Commissioner for Refugees, particularly in view of one additional quality which in this job may be more important than any other: a strong interest in this type of humanitarian work. Mr. Vollebæk’s candidacy is hampered by one thing, though – there are already so many Norwegians in other high positions in the UN that some countries feel Norway should be satisfied with what it’s got. The goal that takes priority, though, is a seat on the Security Council. Some offer the view that a small country like Norway cannot count on two posts of this prominence, and that Mr. Vollebæk as High Commissioner would weaken our bid for the Security Council. This has made it difficult for the Government to campaign as earnestly for Mr. Vollebæk as it has for a seat on the Security Council, and this has certainly not helped Mr. Vollebæk’s case.

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