Landmark League Cup win for legend Laudrup
14
North Sea oil deal won’t change for 30 years
15
INSIDE: Education Guide 2013
Denma
rk’s only
English-lan
guage new spaper
1
1 - 7 March 2013 | Vol 16 Issue 9
Denmark’s only English-language newspaper | cphpost.dk COLOURBOX
NEWS
After three shootings last week, including one murder, police extend stop-and-search zones
4
NEWS
Carbon support After being accused of dragging its feet, Denmark gives stamp of approval to carbon trading plan
5 InOut
You may need to visit your dentist after satisfying your sweeth tooth at the Chocolate Festival
G2
NEWS
Killer on the loose? Jutland farmers are worried about their livestock after six sheep killed in what appears to be a wolf attack
10
9 771398 100009
Price: 25 DKK
THE BIG BANG COMETH PETER STANNERS ‘Kontanthjælp’ reform: Government to force young people to take an education while reducing unemployment benefits for under-30s who are eligible to enter the labour market
U
NEDUCATED young people will be the most affected by the government’s reform of the least generous unemployment benefit, kontanthjælp. The government hopes to find savings in the kontanthjælp system that can be passed along to fund a reduced corporate tax as part of the government’s growth and jobs bill (see story to right). The employment minister, Mette Frederiksen (Socialdemokraterne), said at a press conference on Monday that the government tried to strike a balance between those who didn’t think there was
need for reform, and those who think the best way to get people into work was to reduce the generosity of benefits. Instead, Frederiksen’s reform focused on strengthening initiatives that will ensure people are better equipped to find work. “Those who can, must [work] and those who can’t need to receive better help than they do today,” Frederiksen said. “The reform will mean that more people end up taking an education and that more people end up in work instead of being on kontanthjælp. The reduced expense for kontanthjælp and increased tax revenue from people who end up in work will ensure the reform results in a profit.” Frederiksen announced back in January that she preferred increasing the educational level of young people rather than cutting the generosity of kontanthjælp. Her position is supported by the
Kontanthjælp continues on page 6
PETER STANNERS Growth and jobs bill: Ten billion kroner plan will reduce taxes and levies on business and increase public investment in order to stimulate growth and create 150,000 new jobs by 2020
T
HE FINAL piece of the ‘Big Bang’ reforms was presented on Tuesday in the form of a growth and jobs plan entitled ‘Vækstplan DK’ (Growth Plan DK) that promises “stronger businesses and more jobs”. The highly-anticipated plan uses savings made by cutting the least generous unemployment benefit, kontanthjælp (see story to left), and the student grant system, SU, in order to pay for lower taxes and levies on businesses. The full catalogue of proposals includes several additional sources of financing that will pay for a reduction of
taxes and levies on businesses and an increase in public investment worth a total of ten billion kroner in 2014. The cost of the growth plan is expected to rise to 15 billion by 2020 and result in an additional 150,000 jobs. In the plan, released by the Finance Ministry on Tuesday, the government states: “The initiatives will make it noticeably more attractive to invest in Danish businesses both now and in the coming years. We will also increase public investment and ensure improved levels of education.” The government received a mixed response to the growth and jobs bill (see more on page 6). While the left-wing criticises them for cutting welfare and reducing the burden on businesses, the right-wing has commended the government for the same initiatives. In the plan, the government ex-
THE COPENHAGEN MBA INTERNATIONAL NETWORK. TRIPLE-ACCREDITED PROGRAMME. “I have really benefited from the programme’s condensed curriculum and the fact that it is rich in tools.” Visit www.cbs.dk/mba to find out more.
Growth bill continues on page 6