Government profiting hugely from skyrocketing electricity prices (Aftenposten)

Skyrocketing power rates will burden consumers with astronomical electricity bills this winter while the government stands to rake in huge windfall revenues from the same. As the cost of electricity goes through the ceiling, the resulting increase in VAT and other tax revenues, not to mention dividends, will bring in an additional NOK 10 billion, at least, into the national treasury, according to one estimate. Power companies bound by an excessive load of fixed-rate contracts face a real danger of bankruptcy, and their customers stand to lose thousands of kroner.

100 expulsions so far under “Operation Advent” (Dagsavisen)

The police continue their drive to find illegal immigrants, but they admit their blunder in calling it ‘Operation Advent’. “We are pleased with our results so far, and we will keep up the effort until New Year. The name was intended strictly for internal use. I think we will have to find more neutral names in the future,” say, Odd Berner Malme, Assistant Director General of the Police Directorate.

Border police mark asylum-seekers (Verdens Gang)

The border police in Halden mark asylum-seekers with numbers in indelible ink to help keep track of them when they arrive. Many asylum-seekers coming to Norway via the Halden police station are refugees of war. The Norwegian People’s Relief Association (NPRA) has notified the Immigration Directorate (UDI) of this practice. “We react quite strongly to this way of treating refugees, and have asked the UDI to take the matter up with the proper police authorities,” says Lisbeth Kannick, acting head of domestic operations at the NPRA. “Asylum-seekers deserve to be treated with respect. One does not treat people like livestock in our society,” says Rune Berglund, political adviser at the Norwegian Association for Asylum-Seekers (NOAS).

Bidding round now likely for train communication system (Dagens Næringsliv)

A bidding process now seems inevitable for the construction of a mobile system for safe and reliable communication within Norway’s railway system. A parliamentary majority has previously indicated its view that the wholly state-owned railway communications company, Bane Tele, should take charge of this project, which has a price tag of billions of kroner. However, Minister of Transport and Communications Torild Skogsholm wants the project put out to tender. The Storting’s Transport and Communications committee sat until late last night discussing a compromise, but as this paper went to the press, the outcome had yet to be announced.

Former minister contrite over severance pay (Aftenposten)

Former Labour Minister of Health Tore Tønne has apologized for having applied for and received government severance pay after his term of office in the Stoltenberg Government. Contrary to the rules on severance pay for government ministers, Mr. Tønne received government pay while on Kjell Inge Røkke’s payroll. During the period in which he received NOK 129 908 from the government, he also earned NOK 1.5 million for advisory services rendered in connection with the merger of Aker and Kværner. The administration at the Office of the Prime Minister decided yesterday that he must refund part of his government severance pay.

Critical look at severance pay schemes (Dagsavisen)

Government ministers and MPs have put together very good pay and pension arrangements for themselves. When a Government leaves office, the ministers automatically receive one month’s severance pay. But Ågot Valle (Soc. Left), chairman of the Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs Committee, and Progress Party chairman Carl I. Hagen are calling for an end to these perks. “it should not be possible to receive the salaries of an MP and a member of Government at the same time. I can accept the matter of compensation for the difference in pay between an MP and a government minister, but full pay from both sources is unreasonable,” says Mr. Hagen.

Municipalities may cut expenditures out of spite (Nationen)

Per Sandberg, municipal policy spokesman for the Progress Party, believes municipal councils may implement extra heavy cuts this year to demonstrate against the Government’s municipal financing policy. “I am afraid that party politics may get the upper hand here. It is deplorable and irresponsible, but I am convinced that this is what will happen. Local Christian Democrats first started calling around in an effort to block the budget compromise with the Progress Party, and they kept it up after the budget was adopted,” he said. “His allegations are not true at all. I would like to describe them in even stronger terms,” says Christian Democratic mayor Roy Waage.

Seasonal guest labourers may stay twice as long (Aftenposten)

Guest workers coming to Norway for seasonal labour are currently required to leave after three months. But Minister of Local Government and Regional Administration Erna Solberg wants to allow them to stay for up to six months. The Confederation of Business and Industry (NHO) sees nothing wrong with the suggestion, but the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions is sceptical, mainly because the number of people out of work has increased by 16 000 in the past year. In the Storting, both Progress and Labour oppose the bill. The overall number of work permits issued to seasonal workers so far this year is 15 376.

Worth noting:

• A historic autonomy treaty was signed in Oslo yesterday by the Tamil guerrillas and the Government of Sri Lanka. This is a momentous treaty that may put an end to two decades of war. (Aftenposten)
• Tvedestrand mayor Torleif Haugland (Chr.Dem.) is fighting with all the means at his disposal to have a wine and spirits outlet opened in his town. Alleging discrimination, he has now taken the matter to the EFTA court. (Nationen)
• In a worst-case scenario, the Nordlandsbanken may have to book losses of NOK 890 million this year, much of it due to loans provided to Finance Credit. (Dagens Næringsliv)
• In a confidential memo, the BA-HR law firm provides a detailed description of extremely close financial ties between former Minister of Health Tore Tønne and Kjell Inge Røkke. The substance of this memo is so disturbing that it could cast doubts on Mr. Tønne’s integrity and credibility. The most detrimental item of information is that Mr. Tønne owes Mr. Røkke around one million kroner on a loan given by Aker RGI while Mr. Tønne was Minister of Health. (Dagbladet)
• Kjell Inge Røkke is certain that Tore Tønne is guilty of no wrongdoing, though he is not surprised that Mr. Tønne has elected to pay back part of the severance pay he received. (Dagbladet)
• With construction barely under way, Statoil’s showcase project on the Snow White field has taken a nasty blow: the price tag is over 12 per cent higher than anticipated, and has now reached NOK 5 billion. (Aftenposten)
• Norwegians are stealing like never before. Shops have redoubled their security for the Christmas season, but expect to lose NOK 257 million to shoplifters in December alone. Much of this booty ends up under Christmas trees. (Dagsavisen)
• Minister of the Environment Børge Brende will soon be the first government minister to visit Queen Maud’s Land in the Antarctic. This Norwegian sector is seven times the size of mainland Norway. (Aftenposten)

Today’s Comment, from Aftenposten

It is conceivable that former Minister of Health Tore Tønne was not expecting a lucrative job offer when he applied for severance pay the day before the Government of which he was a minister stepped down. Nonetheless, the rules require one to report any employment one accepts. The whole point of the severance pay scheme is to secure an income for ministers and other political appointees in government for three months after leaving office if they have no other job to go to. It also allows politicians to spend a period in “quarantine” before taking other jobs. Mr. Tønne should have terminated his government severance pay right away when he accepted a well-paid job as an adviser. With his background in senior management in the public and the private sector as well as a top-ranking politician, Mr. Tønne should be well aware of the rules as well as the ethics. There is no excuse for taking the money and not giving notice. We are extremely surprised that a man with Mr. Tønne’s political and business background did nothing to clear up this matter before it became public. What he has done does not reflect on himself alone. It has cast a shadow over the severance pay scheme which the scheme does not deserve. What’s more, he has reminded us all that those who are seen by many as the most upright pillars of our society are by no means above the taint of greed.