The smallest ferry connections will be free during the next year, the government promises. NOK 30 million will be set aside in the first instance.
Of
NTB-Gunnhild Hokholt Bjerve
—
–
The promise came in the Hurdal platform: It will be free to travel with ferries that have fewer than 100,000 passengers annually. Everything will be paid for next year, promises Minister of Finance Trygve Slagsvold Vedum (Sp).
– We set aside 30 million kroner for the most unique island communities we have in Norway, he says to NTB.
The money comes on top of the billion that will go to reduce all ferry fares, which VG reported on Saturday. Everything is part of the supplementary report to the state budget that Vedum will present to the Storting on Monday.
The sum of NOK 30 million may not be considered as large in the context of the state budget, but the Minister of Finance believes that it will make a big difference. It will support communities that are admittedly small, but many of them create value through fishing and salmon farming.
– We want to make it easier to run business development and to live and work there, says Vedum.
Almost the entire coast
When asked about places that will benefit from a free ferry, he lists: Værøy, Røst, Sørøya, Hasvik, the Helgeland coast, the smallest island communities in Trøndelag. Coastal communities in Møre og Romsdal and down to Rogaland will also benefit from the scheme.
A free ferry will be in place from the summer or autumn of next year, Vedum warns. He states that the government will now cooperate with the counties to find out how the funds will be used. He does not know exactly how much it will cost, but the government will follow up the matter in the revised national budget next year.
In 2019, ticket revenues from ferry connections with less than 100,000 passengers amounted to NOK 57 million, according to The Normann Committee. The committee was set up to study the population challenges in the districts.
Measures against depopulation
Vedum admits that the free ferry is not all that is needed for people to want to live in these places.
– It is one of many moves, says Vedum.
He points to the proposals for increased Finnmark deductions and decentralized education as other examples.
The Labor-Sp government must negotiate with SV to get a majority for the budget, but Vedum does not think the ferry investment is at stake.
– It is a good distribution policy. We want to even out differences, both social and geographical, he says.
–
