MILLIONS IN BRIBES FROM NORWEGIAN COMPANIES (Aftenposten)

The World Bank estimates that Norwegian companies spend NOK 225 million each year bribing politicians and bureaucrats in eastern Europe in order to "get things done". This corresponds to 2.2 per cent of the companies’ total revenues. Kristin Clemet, vice president of the Confederation of Norwegian Business and Industry (NHO), says that both individual companies and the authorities must put an end to this corruption. Hardly any Norwegian companies operating abroad are aware of the legislation covering this area.

80,000 TOO MANY (Dagbladet)

According to a recent analysis the services provided by local and county authorities could be carried out up to 20 per cent more efficiently. This means that 80,000 public sector employees could be doing other jobs. Labour and Government Administration Minister Jørgen Kosmo needs at least that many if he is to succeed in his efforts to modernize the public sector. Yesterday he begged representatives of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO) to understand what he is trying to do.

GAS-FIRED POWER STATION AT SKOGN (Dagens Næringsliv)

Industrikraft Midt-Norge has received permission to build a gas-fired power station at Skogn, North Trøndelag. CO2 emissions from the plant will amount to 2.2 million tonnes per year. The company is being made to make major reductions in its nitrous oxide emissions even though the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT) does not believe the surrounding countryside will be damaged by the power station.

MAJOR VICTORY DESPITE DOUBTS (Aftenposten)

Orkla’s board of directors concluded early on in its eight-hour meeting that chief executive Jens P. Heyerdahl had its complete confidence. However, the team that has investigated Mr Heyerdahl have been given differing explanations of what happened to the mysterious block of shares that were owned by Skandia and are now held by a nameless investor. Orkla’s chairman Finn A. Hvistendahl is therefore not entirely sure that all the details have been brought to light. The board still plans to look into the legality of Orkla’s loan to Norway Seafood, which is owned by billionaire industrialist Kjell Inge Røkke.

TWO-THIRDS OF TAX PAYERS PAY HIGH-INCOME SURTAX (Dagens Næringsliv)

The surtax was meant for those with the very highest incomes, but is now hitting two out of every three people in full-time employment. "At the outset the surtax was not supposed to hit ordinary wage earners," says Bjørn Tore Stølen from the Confederation of Vocational Unions (YS). His calculations show that almost 900,000 people pay the high-income surtax on their salaries. When it was introduced in 1990 the salary threshold for the surtax was NOK 205,000 per year, while the average salary was NOK 200,000. The average salary today is just under NOK 300,000 per year.

GREASING STATOIL (Verdens Gang)

After nine months of internal wrangling, the Labour Party will announce its policy on the future of the Norwegian oil industry in another 10 days. According to sources close to the Government, more than half of the state-owned blocks in the North Sea oil and gas fields will be given away or sold. However, the Government will retain ownership of large parts of the most profitable fields. This will allow the Government to keep up to 80 per cent of the cash-flow from the State Direct Financial Interest (SDFI) in the petroleum sector.

STILL FULL SICK-PAY FROM THE CENTRE PARTY (Dagsavisen)

In its new party programme, to be published today, the Centre Party has made it clear that employees will continue to receive full pay if they become ill. But Centre Party chairman Odd Roger Enoksen is concerned that the Labour Party will sacrifice the current sick-pay scheme. If the Centre Party, the Labour Party and the Socialist Left Party maintain their majority in the Storting, today’s system can be continued into the future. The other parties are proposing a variety of changes to the sick-pay scheme – some of which are minor, while others represent a radical reform.

EARTHQUAKE HIT WHOLE OF THE SOUTHEAST (Dagbladet)

The earthquake that hit the southeast of Norway last night frightened people out of their beds. The earthquake measured almost four on the Richter scale, which is high for this area. The epicentre was west of Halden. There have been no reports of injuries following the earthquake.

WORTH NOTING

1. If the EU’s scientific committee today accepts the ban on French meat imposed by Italy and Spain, Norway will immediately follow suit, says Agriculture Minister Barne Håkon Hanssen. The risk of mad cow disease being present in Norway is minimal. (Aftenposten)
2. A complete ban on the use of bone meal in Norway may cost Norwegian farmers NOK 500 million. Yesterday the Agriculture Minister warned that Norway would follow the EU Commission and impose a complete ban from the New Year. (Nationen)
3. With limited knowledge in several important subjects Norwegian teachers are being let loose on your children. Even at the secondary school level there is a severe shortage of skills in a number of subjects. (Verdens Gang)
4. A visibly tired Jens P. Heyerdahl took none of the blame for the chaos that has reigned at Orkla in recent weeks. (Dagens Næringsliv)

TODAY’S COMMENT FROM AFTENPOSTEN

Yesterday the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Administration (NVE) and the Norwegian Pollution Control Authority (SFT) gave Industrikraft Midt-Norge an operating license and emission permits allowing it to build the most polluting gas-fired power station hitherto permitted in Norway. The operating license was issued just four days after the collapse of the international climate conference in the Haag. It is a long time since two Norwegian authorities took such an unwise decision at such an unwise point in time. The SFT did not make its decision entirely of its own volition. Political signals from the Government have decisively coloured the expert judgements which it is the SFT’s responsibility to make. After the Labour Party, with the help of the Conservatives, took office over the gas-fired power station issue in March, the SFT has been tied hand and foot. Gas-fired power stations should not be built in Norway until there is a much better technology for reducing CO2 emissions than that which is economically viable today. Only then will the Government’s claim that Norwegian gas-fired power will help reduce emissions on an international level become credible.

NOREG