“Ordinary people’s trip”. That was the Labor Party’s slogan in the election campaign last year. Now it is perhaps more correct to talk about the bad luck of ordinary people. Because the war in Ukraine and the aftermath of the corona pandemic are taking a toll on Norwegian wallets. The Busterud family from Vang in Hamar can sign it. – In the worst months where there are large expenses, there is no doubt that you turn the krone around, says Anders Busterud. The father of two works full-time as a prison guard, but now chooses to use his days off in the rotation to wash and polish cars to supplement his income. – Bringing in a few extra thousand Swedish kroner a month does the trick, as it is now, says his wife Gunnhild Røssum Busterud, who works full-time as a nurse in care for the elderly. Anders Busterud has taken on an extra job washing and polishing cars in his spare time to supplement his income as a prison officer. Photo: Vibecke Wold Haagensen / news Disappointed with the government When asked by news whether they think the government has fulfilled its own promises from the election campaign, the answer is a flat no from both. The expectations are now clear ahead of the autumn’s budget rounds at the Storting. – It is to make arrangements so that it will be easier financially for us with a regular salary. And it wasn’t 750,000 the last time I checked, says Anders Busterud, referring to the government’s promise that everyone who earns less than 750,000 will pay less in tax. – What do you want most? – It’s difficult to answer, but perhaps cheaper daycare and cheaper after-school care? says Gunnhild Røssum Busterud. – And curb the costs that run rampant during the day: Diesel prices, electricity prices and grocery prices. That’s where most people know it, at least we do, says the husband. The increased rent also affects the family economy. Despite working full-time as a prison officer and nurse, the increased prices are felt well by a family with two children aged three and six. – Can you make ends meet? – Yes we do. We have not maxed out the mortgage and are doing just fine. But it is noticeable. For example, it is not particularly easy to save money during the day, she says. SV asks Ap to break tax pledge The day before the government gathers for the budget conference, SV comes out with two specific demands that the party believes will make everyday life easier for those with low incomes: Increased child benefit and an increased minimum pension. – Everyone notices that costs are increasing. People should not be left to fend for themselves in this situation. Now a strong redistribution policy is needed, says SV’s fiscal policy spokesperson Kari Elisabeth Kaski to news. SV’s fiscal spokesperson Kari Elisabeth Kaski demands that the government break its own tax promise and increase the minimum pension and child benefit. Photo: Kai Rune Kvitstein / news The Labor Party went to the election with promises to keep the overall level of taxes and fees unchanged and not to increase taxes by more than 7 billion in total. But now it is more important to expand welfare, says SV. – The Labor Party must update its policy to the economic situation that Norway is in. That means breaking the tax promise! It is not out of the question to withhold tax increases for those with the highest assets and incomes. We have a great need to expand welfare and prevent poverty, says Kaski. The SV profile wants lower taxes for everyone with low and medium incomes and believes there is room for new welfare initiatives even if price inflation is high and the specter of interest rates looms. – It is not the welfare money that drives up inflation in Norway, it is the large investments in oil and motorways that do, says Kaski. She does not want to put a number on how much the minimum pensions and child benefit will be increased now, but says SV has the math ready before the negotiations with the government. Nor will she specify the key point for when the income tax is to be increased. Vedum wants to curb price growth Finance Minister and SP leader Trygve Slagsvold Vedum on Tuesday invited the press to a lecture on the economic situation ahead of the autumn budget. He obviously wanted to make some important points before the government’s budget conference, which starts on Wednesday. – These are troubled times that will require clear political priorities, said Vedum. Finance Minister Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp) says the most important thing for the government is to curb price inflation and the pressure on interest rates. Photo: Kai Rune Kvitstein / news He announced that several promises from the Hurdal platform will be pushed on, but would not specify which ones applied. Otherwise, the message was clear: The most important thing now is to slow price growth and the pressure on the key interest rate. And that means, according to Vedum, that the use of oil money must be sharply reduced. – The budget work has changed enormously from January to now. We cannot afford to increase the use of oil money. We must spend less money, not more, said the finance minister. In an interview with news after the lecture, Vedum says that these are demanding times for most people now. – I understand the uneasiness that many people feel. Getting price inflation under control is crucially important, and therefore the Storting cannot now this autumn simply allocate more money for all possible purposes. Because that will put further pressure on prices, which will hit those with low and medium incomes the hardest. When asked what he thinks about SV’s demand for an increased minimum pension and child benefit, Vedum replies: – If we are concerned with distribution, then this is not a budget to increase spending. Because then you only create further pressure on prices. Here too, the politicians in the Storting must dare to prioritize harder.
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Took on extra work to cope with higher prices – news Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
