The total aid from Norway was a record high in 2023. A whopping NOK 58.6 billion went to various countries and projects around the world, to make the world a better place to live.
Nettavisen columnist Are Søberg, perhaps better known as the Løseriombudsmannen, was allowed to introduce the evening’s “Debatten” broadcast on NRK on the topic.
Søberg listed a number of examples of what Norwegian tax money has been used for in recent years:
- Norwegian design for Uganda – including an ecological urinal (NOK 2.5 million)
- Music festival in Mali’s desert (NOK 1 million)
- Radio theater about covid for Mozambique (NOK 370,000)
- Rock school in Bosnia (NOK 1.2 million)
- Ice sculpture festival in Kosovo (NOK 37,000)
- Madajazzcar (NOK 300,000 annually between 2009 and 2016)
- Retraining of Somali pirates to become skin care workers
– These are just trivial matters, this is not where the big money goes. I have only scratched the surface of a very large treasure chest. It is very, very strange, said Søberg.
He continued:
– I also definitely have the impression that even the big money doesn’t get much good out of it. It is quite well documented, I believe, that we are unable to create economic growth in other countries. In any case, we are unable to create democracy for those who do not want it, Søberg said in the broadcast, and added:
– It would have been very nice if it worked, it would have been absolutely fantastic if we could save the world, but unfortunately we cannot do that, and then we have to think about what NOK 58 billion goes to, he added.
Fredrik Solvang tried to get an answer to this question
When Aid and Development Minister Anne Beathe Tvinnereim (Sp) was then given the floor by presenter Fredrik Solvang, and was asked if Norwegian money goes to fighting poverty, she replied:
– Yes, they do. Now you have done a good job of finding some slightly silly examples, and I understand that it is entertaining, but we could also take examples such as investments in vaccines have contributed to halving child mortality in the world, or that we have invested in local tax systems precisely so that they will become independent of aid. We have also avoided famine disasters because we have pre-stored grain, for example. I, not surprisingly, disagree with the Waste Ombudsman that we cannot document that the aid works. We know that aid is an important contribution to creating economic development in developing countries, said Tvinnereim.
The NRK presenter and the Minister for Development then got into a real exchange of words. See it here:
– But explain to me: How does a rock festival lead to less poverty? asked Solvang.
– No, now you’re bringing up some weird examples like that again, replied Tvinnereim.
– These are completely genuine, real examples, replied the NRK presenter.
– From some time ago, Tvinnereim countered.
– Two years ago, they are the newest, said Solvang.
– It is not a representative example, replied the minister for development.
– I have not claimed that it is. They’re nipped out, yes. They are funny, yes. And they are easy to annoy. But I seriously ask: How does a music festival, a jazz festival, lead to less poverty?
– If I have to answer that concretely, then I can say, for example… you mentioned the radio example? The Radio Theater. Teaching illiterate people – people who cannot read – how to protect themselves from corona, it is certainly a good investment in the country’s health, said Tvinnereim, before adding that she did not know the festival examples.
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– We should be very proud
– The government’s goal with the aid is to contribute to the sustainability goals and reduce poverty. Everything is connected to everything. Creating, for example, a strong civil society is incredibly important to facilitate democratic development and economic development. We are happy to bring up silly examples, but the fact is that we should be very proud of the results that Norwegian aid contributes to combating poverty, replied Tvinnereim.
