Finance Minister wants to close the Ethics Council

Progress Party-leader and Minister of Finance Siv Jensen has suggested to close the Oil Fund's Council on Ethics. The Liberal Left Party and the Christian Democrats disagree. 

Neither the Christian Democrats (KrF) or the Liberal Left Party (Venstre) want to support Siv Jensen's proposal to shut down the Council on Ethics. The council is an independent body that evaluates which companies the Oil Fund should invest in. 

"The Christian Democrats are not convinced that it is a good option to close the Concil on Ethics," says fiscal spokesperson in KrF, Hans Olav Syversen to DN. 

The Liberal Left Party's fiscal spokesperson, Terje Breivik, supports Syversen's view. He adds that the council's independence is important to preserve. "I fully support the Council on Ethics, which is one of the reasons why the Oil Fund has received so much international recognition," he explains. 

Jensen has suggested that the Bank of Norway can take over the responsibility for the Oil Fund's investments, as well as the criteria for which companies that should be excluded. However, the Finance Minister's plan may be difficult to implement without support from the Liberal Left Party and the Christian Democrats. 

"I don't think anyone needs to pack their suitcase quite yet," Syversen says. 

(DN)