The enormously high power prices in the south have led to strong pressure to get power support for business. In an interview with news in Arendal on Thursday, Støre goes so far as to suggest that there may be a company subsidy with rules that set limits for companies to pay out of the surplus to the owners. The government has announced a proposal for an arrangement in September. – Ap has been clear throughout the pandemic that if the community stands up to secure jobs, then the owners should not take out high incomes. Høgre has disagreed with that, and NHO has disagreed with that. The government has been criticized for delaying coming up with a power support solution for companies struggling with power prices. The scheme is now being designed by the Minister of Industry, Jan Christian Vestre. In a speech to party members in Arendal ahead of the party leader debate on Thursday, Støre emphasized that he sees it as the government’s task to pursue a policy even through the electricity crisis that redistributes from those who have the most to those who have less to worry about. PARTY TIME: Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) spoke to party members in Arendal on Thursday. Photo: Håvard Grønli / news And when NHO chief Ole Erik Almlid visited Dagens Næringsliv’s tent during Arendalsveka on Wednesday, he opened up about placing restrictions on the payment of dividends. Support must go to save businesses and jobs, he stated. – We have to look at many restrictions, such as possible dividend restrictions, he said. Støre likes the mess from the NHO summit. – If I have heard correctly today, that NHO believes that they must reconsider this, then I think it is a happy sign, says the head of government to news. – A good signal SV is the government’s partner party in the Storting. This means that Ap and Sp will try to get together with SV in order to get a majority for their support scheme. SIGNAL: Acting SV leader Kirsti Bergstø during the party leader debate in Arendal. And acting SV leader Kirsti Bergstø likes the shop from Støre, even though she has not seen any models yet. – It is a very good signal, and it bodes well, says Bergstø to news after the party leader debate late on Thursday evening. Bergstø believes that it is absolutely necessary to set limits for dividends and the possibility of dismissing people if it is relevant for the party to support a scheme for companies. – We have to see the whole model at once when he arrives, says Bergstø. – We cannot set up an arrangement where we socialize the risk and privatize the gain, Bergstø points out. When support schemes were drawn up for companies during the corona pandemic, no dividend ban was made. At that time, the Liberal Party ruled the Ministry of Industry. – I hope that the primary consideration from the government now is to save companies that are on the brink of bankruptcy, not to limit dividends. But we will have to look at the scheme before we decide on it, says Venstreliar Guri Melby. North-south dispute At the same time, the debate between northern Norwegian and southern Norwegian politicians has sharpened in the Labor Party. Prime Minister and Ap leader Støre states that the power crisis cannot be solved with cables between Northern and Southern Norway. Stavanger mayor Kari Nessa Nordtun, who is the leader of the APS energy committee which will shape a new energy policy for the party, spoke last week in Aftenposten to expand power transmission capacity between northern and southern Norway. Alta mayor Monica Nielsen (Ap) told VG that the play was “very provocative”. – The solution to the challenges in the south today does not go through draining power from the north, Støre said during the Labor Party’s party hour in Arendal on Thursday. – If we were to think that thought, it would take 10–15 years. The North now has the opportunity to use its power to develop its industry. But also in the north, we need to get started on building out more renewable power. The party hours are open events where the various parties present their policies. The majority of the audience are usually trustees of the party that presents itself on stage. Need to build more power Bigger details for news after the party: – Many people think that when prices are high in the south and low in the north, we can even it out. But there are huge distances and stretches and it is not necessarily the right move, he says. – Both north and south have a common challenge. Both must build out more renewable power. Remember that the situation in the north is temporary. It can turn around very quickly, says Støre and points out that it is more important to develop internal transmission capacity within Northern Norway and between Northern Norway, Sweden and Finland. Støre also repeated his defense of foreign cables when he addressed the assembly with a party vote of confidence. SURROUNDINGS: The Prime Minister receives many questions about electricity from the press. Photo: Håvard Grønli / news – But isn’t it difficult to defend that it is right to have cables abroad but not between north and south Norway? – It is not very difficult. Because it is completely normal to think about supply in an area with common needs. Therefore, the most important transfers in the north are those that go to Finland and Sweden. There, that cooperation works quite well.
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Støre-no to dividends in support scheme – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
