Huge number of public service workers granted disability benefits (Aftenposten)

The number of former public service employees who are receiving disability benefits has risen by almost 36 per cent since 1996, while for the rest of the population there has been a 17 per cent rise. The Norwegian Public Service Pension fund is concerned that the numbers will continue to rise. "This cannot go on," says Government Administration Minister Jørgen Kosmo. He is surprised by the figures, but is hoping that a new system, which will come into effect this spring, will reverse this unfortunate trend.

800 apply for civil service trainee programme (Dagsavisen)

The Civil Service is using industry’s own methods to capture the best employees. Over 800 young people have applied for a trainee programme which the government ministries have set up. Unfortunately there are only 18 places, and candidates must already be well educated and preferably under 35. The lucky 18 will undergo a 14-month period of training to turn them into civil service high-flyers. After that they will be able to apply for jobs as managers or technical experts at the various ministries.

New rules will make it easier to sack dishonest foreign service staff (Aftenposten)

Around 10 local employees at Norwegian foreign missions are suspended or sacked each year due to misappropriation of funds, incompetence, conduct unbecoming a representative of Norway or other breaches of their employment contract. In recent years it has been revealed that local employees at at least four embassies and one consulate have sold visas to Norway. Up until now ambassadors have had to report these cases to the Foreign Ministry in Oslo. In the proposed new Foreign Service Act, the ministry is recommending that the individual foreign missions be given the authority to fire unwanted local employees themselves.

Go without food to pay bills (Klassekampen)

Over 70,000 Norwegian households cannot afford to eat an evening meal, according to a survey by the National Institute for Consumer Research (SIFO). The survey also shows that eight per cent of Norwegian households, around 160,000 families, have problems paying their bills. SIFO has been studying the population’s ability to pay its bills since the end of the 1980s, and has concluded that the problem is increasing.

Electricity prices set to double (Dagens Næringsliv)

In the 10 years since the Norwegian electricity market was deregulated, prices have fallen steadily. Consumers have benefited from fierce competition among electricity producers and excess capacity in Norwegian hydro-electric power station reservoirs. But that period is now over. Norwegian electricity prices will double by the end of the year. That is the conclusion of the major US consulting company, ICF Consulting.

No advertising for kids’ sport (Aftenposten)

Advertising on the jerseys of junior league sports enthusiasts may soon be a thing of the past. A government appointed commission is now proposing a lower age limit of 12 for such advertising, as well as a number of other measures to reduce the commercial pressures on small children. "This could mean parents will have to pay more," says Kjell O. Kran, president of the Norwegian Confederation of Sports.

Worth Noting

• "There is absolutely no doubt that the EU has produced a document which includes plans to take over the member countries’ oil resources in the event of a crisis. The document just hasn’t been made official yet," says Sigbjørn Gjelsvik, chairman of No to the EU. (Nationen)
• The situation is looking brighter for some of the Russian trawlers currently being held back in Norwegian ports. Negotiated settlements and arbitration agreements have raised hopes that they may soon be able to leave Norwegian waters. A total of 11 Russian ships have been impounded pending the payment of tens of millions of kroner to various banks, management companies and port authorities. Over 70 Russian seamen are waiting on board in poor conditions for their ships to be released, without knowing when that might happen. (Aftenposten)
• Money from the sale of Norwegian oil is flowing in even faster than expected. Recent figures from the Ministry of Finance show that this year’s profits will grow by almost NOK 50 billion if the price of oil remains at the same level as the first quarter this year. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• Doing time at Ullersmo Prison does not have many positive sides to it, but some prisoners have, in fact, managed to spend their time doing something worthwhile. They have joined parenting groups to develop better relationships with their children. (Dagbladet)
• 10,000 Norwegians have been prescribed diet pills by their doctors. The manufacturer is now working to get the pills put on the list of prescription medications whose cost is subsidized by the state. (Nationen)
• Skiing accidents and avalanches took the lives of five people in the last part of the Easter break. 19 people were injured in fires and other accidents. (Aftenposten)

Today’s comment from Dagsavisen

Tomorrow marks the opening day of the trial of the four people who stand accused in the Orderud case – almost two years after the triple murder was committed. It may take several years more before the legal system is finally done with this very special murder case. No matter what the outcome of the trial in the Nes District Court, the verdict will probably go to appeal. District Recorder Trond Våpenstad and his lay judges have a difficult case before them. There are no confessions and no indisputable evidence linking one or more of the accused to the actual crime. The indictment is built on a chain of circumstantial evidence which the prosecution believes is strong enough to lead to a conviction for premeditated murder or complicity to murder. Press coverage of the case has been an unedifying mixture of plain facts, speculation and efforts by the various parties to plead their case in the media. For the public it is therefore difficult to know where the case actually stands. And things will not get any easier when the trial itself begins. Regardless of how competent the media’s court reporters are, they will be presenting only a small slice out of an enormous body of evidence where the strength of the parties’ evidence and argumentation will successively rise and fall. But the final judgment will be made by the members of the court alone – and they have prior and immediate access to the entire body of evidence.