Ap and Sp in Trøndelag ask the government to postpone the salmon tax

Ap and Sp in Trøndelag are asking their own government to abandon plans to introduce a controversial salmon tax from January.

A majority of the county council in Trøndelag (Ap, Sp, KrF, V) believes that there is a basis for ground rent in the aquaculture industry, but cannot support the plan for ground rent taxation as this facility is proposed.

Therefore, the county council believes that the introduction of the tax should be postponed until the final arrangement is adopted by the Storting, according to a press release from the county council.

– This is a clear signal from the country’s heaviest and most important aquaculture region, said County Mayor Torrey O. Sandvik (AP) and district deputy mayor Tomas Ivor Hallem (SP) say.

Basic Interest Tax They note that since the aquaculture industry reaps its income from a common public resource, a separate tax is proposed to be introduced by the government; the sea

The basic interest tax for the aquaculture industry mainly concerns salmon farming companies.

They emphasize that the aquaculture industry is Norway’s second largest export industry and that Trøndelag is one of the largest aquaculture regions in the country.

For Trøndelag, the industry forms a significant part of the value creation in the district and salmon is Trøndelag’s most important export product: Salmon accounts for two-thirds of Trøndelag’s commodity exports as measured by export value, and Trøndelag 20–25 percent. The farmed salmon is Norwegian production, the press release says.

It also implies large ripple effects in related industries.

– Strongly recommend

They defend the ground rent tax, but not the government’s handling of it.

– There are grounds for saying that the aquaculture industry has to pay ground rent. They use a social resource limited by licences, and reap extraordinary rather than ordinary income, but the introduction of a ground rent tax must be done in such a way as to preserve predictability and security for workplaces. County Mayor Torey O., who is from the Labor Party, said the county council is therefore asking the county council to change the proposed ground rent tax before introducing it. Sandvik says.

– The county council in Trøndelag gave a clear message today, here I strongly recommend that the government look at the proposal again, and that the tax change be packaged in a broader solution in Storting. District Deputy Mayor Tomas Ivar Hallem from the Center Party says that the provision in the proposal must be changed and cannot simply be introduced as the proposal is presented.

Asks for unifying solutions

In the press release, they point out that the majority consisting of Ap, Sp, KrF and V are issuing an advisory opinion on the proposal for land rent tax on aquaculture, which “has clear expectations that the arrangement should be changed”.

– The District Council requests that models other than the proposed “fixed price” model be considered. Pending a decision on the Storting, they write, the estimated revenue for 2024 could be taken care of by a temporary increase in the production tax.

– I recommend the government to confiscate from the industry the call for a temporary increase in the production tax in 2023 to collect the same amount as calculated in the tax model and the volumes in storage for a new model. Sandvik says the best are convergent solutions.

– It’s good

– It’s good. The government should listen to the country’s largest aquaculture district, postpone the process, explore alternative tax models and say yes to the industry’s proposed transitional arrangement that ensures increased income for society, says Geir Ove Ystmark, head of Sjømat Norge. Fishing companies.

He adds:

– I believe we can find solutions that protect both industry, society and workplaces. This is a good result from AP, SP, KRF and V at the County Council in Trøndelag.

VG has contacted the State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Lars Vangen (SP), who said that Finance Minister Drikve Slacksvold Vedum (SP) did not have a chance to answer questions about the case on Wednesday afternoon. Evening.