– Work is now starting to phase out commercial operations in welfare. And it is absolutely necessary, because in recent years large commercial groups have entered into larger parts of welfare, says Kirsti Bergstø, deputy leader of SV. In budget negotiations with SV, the government undertook to look at how “commercial operations can be phased out in various tax-financed welfare services, and present a separate zero-profit model for each such sector”. Now a separate selection is in place. – It is primarily about the government wanting the community’s money to be used for welfare, and not for large commercial players, says Gunn Karin Gjul (Ap), state secretary in the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation. Several tasks The government’s committee will look at how commercial actors can be removed from various sectors, including nurseries and care for the elderly. The committee must also come up with proposals for separate “zero profit models” for each sector. These models will ensure that non-public actors who still work in welfare cannot give their owners large dividends. The government’s committee will look at how commercial actors can be removed from various sectors, including from kindergartens. Photo: Terje Pedersen / NTB The committee will be chaired by former Nav director Tore Saglie. It must submit its recommendations to the government by 1 June 2024. SV is already completely clear that all commercial actors must withdraw from tax-funded welfare services. Ap we do not decide before the committee has finished its work. – You have certain areas within our welfare, for example the nursery sector, where the private players are very large. Here it will be very demanding if we are to have everything under public authority. Then we think that there must also be opportunities to look at models for how we can do it very strictly, so that you can’t spend big money, says Gunn Karin Gjul (Ap). NHO fears mayoral rebellion – This is going the wrong way into the future, says NHO chief Ole Erik Almlid. NHO believes that private actors are an important part of the welfare services, and warns of major consequences if they are thrown out. NHO chief Ole Erik Almlid believes that there will not be a good welfare offer without private actors. Photo: Javad Parsa / NTB – Thousands of companies, but hundreds of thousands of employees, ensure that people get help every day. They want to take this away, so that we don’t get the help we need, says Almlid. The NHO chief predicts that there will be a “mayor revolt” in the districts if the government actually throws out private actors from the welfare services. – This is not feasible. When mayors in Ap and Sp see what this could mean, I think there could be a mayoral revolt. He also does not agree with the government that large dividends to owners are a problem today. – I am very concerned that the community’s money should go to as many services as possible for the most people. That is why we have been concerned that you should not have a super profit, and that is not the case either.
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