The Royal Ministry Of Foreign Affairs, Oslo
Press Division

Norway Daily No. 64/01

Date: 2 April 2001

Huge fine (Aftenposten/Saturday)

Following the Åsta train crash in January last year, the National Railway Administration has been fined NOK 10 million for breaches of the Railways Act. According to the Director General of Public Prosecutions, the lack of communications equipment represented a particularly serious breach of the safety regulations. The fine will have no personal consequences for Railway Administration chief executive Steinar Killi. Transport Minister Terje Moe Gustavsen said: "There are many people over a long period of time who must share responsibility for the accident, including the Ministry of Transport, the Storting, NSB and the National Railway Administration."

Record fine a hollow gesture (Dagsavisen/Saturday)

After the National Railway Administration has paid the record fine of NOK 10 million it has been given following the Åsta train crash, it will in all probability apply to the Government to get the money back in the form of additional subsidies. "If we accept the fine, we may have to ask for the money back. We do not have any profits from which to pay the fine," confirms corporate communications manager Svein Horrisland.

Southern Region Line most dangerous (Verdens Gang)

More accidents and near-misses happen on the Southern Region Line than any other railway line in Norway, according to an analysis of all the hazardous incidents reported last year. The analysis was carried out by NSB BA. There were 34 accidents and 253 near-misses on the Southern Region Line. The Rauma Line from Dombås to Åndalsnes was the only line with no reported accidents last year.

250,000 cases dropped (Dagsavisen)

Burglaries and car theft – so called workaday crime – top the statistics over cases dropped by the Norwegian police. The country’s police forces dropped 250,000 cases which had been reported by members of the public. The low detection rate in these cases means that thieves in reality have little to fear.

Training to prevent miscarriages of justice (Aftenposten)

Following a series of cases where expert witnesses have helped to convict the innocent, a Government appointed committee has proposed drastic measures to prevent further miscarriages of justice. Among the committee’s proposals is the establishment of a special training programme for expert witnesses in criminal cases. Most West European countries have such a scheme, but it has not previously existed in Norway.

Flotation may be postponed (Dagens Næringsliv)

Statoil may have to postpone its stock market flotation. Before its shares can be launched on the stock market the new tax rules for the oil industry must be in place. Finance Minister Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen has warned that the Government’s proposal on oil taxation will be delayed. The Conservatives are now calling on the Finance Minister to consult with the Storting before the proposed changes in the petroleum tax are presented.

Cabinet taken by surprise over oil spending (Dagbladet/Saturday)

The Labour Party’s executive committee was at no point informed about the Government’s historic decision to let the country’s oil wealth pour out into the Norwegian economy. A large number of Government ministers were totally unaware of what was coming when they were called in to an extraordinary cabinet meeting on Thursday morning. Work on the issue was kept within a tight circle comprising the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and a small handful of advisors because of the fear of leaks.

Supporters of EU membership do not want issue to dominate election campaign (Dagsavisen)

Sigurd Grytten, the newly elected leader of the European Movement in Norway, does not want EU membership to be an election campaign issue. Mr Grytten believes it is highly unlikely that Norway will become a member until after the 2005 election. "I have to be realistic. When both the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister say there is practically no chance of a referendum during the next parliamentary term, there is definitely not much chance of it happening," he says.

Government to cut residential property tax (Dagens Næringsliv/Saturday)

The vast majority of us will see a cut in our residential property tax. While the tax experts advised Finance Minister Karl Eirik Schjøtt-Pedersen to raise property taxes and lower taxes on earned income, Mr Schjøtt-Pedersen has decided to cut the tax on residential property by NOK 1 billion. Only the age of the property and the number of square metres it comprises have any influence on how much tax you will pay.

Worth Noting

• Steinar Killi, chief executive of the National Railway Administration, thinks the NOK 10 million fine imposed by the Director General of Public Prosecutions following the Åsta train crash was unexpectedly large. "Historically and morally this fine should not have been imposed on the National Railway Authority alone," he says. (Dagbladet/Saturday)
• Yesterday the cost of a return air ticket from the majority of Norwegian airports went up by NOK 256. The same tax now applies to all types of ticket, and for some discounted tickets the tax represents a price increase of 32 per cent. (Aftenposten)
• A record number of companies have declared themselves bankrupt or been forced into receivership during the first three months of the year. 1,520 companies have gone to the wall. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• The imposition of VAT on lawyer’s fees will lead to many people being unable to afford legal advice, while the Government nets over NOK 300 million each year, according to the Norwegian Bar Association. (Nationen/Saturday)
• Jens Ulltveit-Moe, president of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry, has hit back at those who have criticized the rapid rise in salaries for the best paid executives. "The criticism is unfair and without foundation," he says. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Shipping magnate Fred Olsen sent his family’s valuable collection of paintings by Edvard Munch to Scotland in 1979 because he feared a "socialist nationalization" of art treasures in Norway. (All newspapers/Saturday)

Today’s comment from Nationen

We have nothing against residential property taxes being used to tax the rich in Norway. But why on earth does the Labour Government have to ruin a good thing by turning their greedy eyes on the houses of ordinary people – and putting an even greater bureaucratic burden on the nation’s shoulders? The Government’s residential property tax proposal, which was published at the end of last week, completely misses the mark – both practically and politically. The issue now risks getting bogged down in another endless round of discussions.