– Absolutely, says deputy leader Anne Beathe Tvinnereim in the Center Party, when asked if the Conservative Party is still their main enemy in Norwegian politics.
On Thursday, she presented the draft of a new party program for the Center Party in the period 2025–2029.
Among other things, there is advocating to reduce the wealth tax for local owners of small and medium-sized businesses, something the party is praised by NHO for.
– Where we may not differ so much from the Conservative Party is that we also want to make better arrangements for business development, business and small and medium-sized enterprises throughout the country, Tvinnereim tells NTB.
Removed point about increased tax
In the current party programme, the Center Party states that the taxes of those who earn the most must rise.
“The Center Party will reduce the tax on low incomes and increase the tax on higher incomes. The tax system must become more progressive,” it says.
In his new draft of the party programme, the point about increasing the tax on higher incomes is gone. It says:
“The Center Party will make the tax system more progressive by reducing the tax on low and ordinary incomes”.
– You shouldn’t read anything into that, says Tvinnereim.
She denies that the party has taken a turn in the direction of the Conservative Party’s politics.
– So you still want to increase taxes for those with high incomes?
– We want to use progressiveness actively, so it means that, yes.
– Everyone must contribute
She also rejects that the point about cutting wealth tax is a step to the right.
– This is what we have meant for absolutely every year, and then we have had slightly different packaging. A few programs ago we talked about removing tax on “working capital”. So no party – not even the Conservative Party – has managed to define what is working capital, says Tvinnereim.
She emphasizes that they will not remove the wealth tax completely.
– But we recognize that for a number of small and medium-sized, local business owners, the bottom deduction on wealth tax should be increased, so that more people are exempted, she says.
District policy
But why is the Conservative Party the main enemy? Tvinnereim explains it like this:
– They want to take Norway in a completely different direction than what the Center Party wants. We want settlements all over the country. We want to use the policy actively, and not let the market contribute to increased social and geographical differences, she says.
In the new draft, it is proposed, among other things, to introduce a scheme where people in rural areas can have their mortgages cut. There are also several other measures to make it easier to live and run a business in non-central areas.
– If we are to get people to live in the rural areas, we must also contribute with policies to compensate for the disadvantages of distance. That clearly separates us from the Conservative Party, says the deputy leader.
Get praise from NHO
Næringslivets Hovedorganisaison (NHO) has noted the new program draft for the Center Party, and boasts of the changes in wealth tax.
– It is positive that the Center Party has now realized that something must be done about the wealth tax; and that this is programmed. We look forward to a breakthrough in the government and an early implementation, says deputy managing director Anniken Hauglie in NHO in a press release.
The program will, of course, be discussed in the party in the coming months, before a final version is adopted at the national meeting in Haugesund in March next year.
Hauglie asks Sp to ensure more predictability in tax policy and reduce the tax burden, and believes that it is not enough to reduce wealth tax.
– But it is good that the Center Party is now showing a willingness to ease the financial burden for smaller businesses, she says.
Tvinnereim welcomes the embrace from NHO with open arms.
– I did not think that the Conservative Party had claimed positive comments from NHO. The Center Party cooperates well with the business community all over Norway, she says.
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2024-09-21 06:31:23
