2023-04-18 07:08:54
Sweden targets support to most vulnerable in tight spring budget
Sweden’s government announced a relatively insignificant 720m kronor in targeted support to help economically vulnerable households in an otherwise tight spring budget which made fighting inflation its chief priority.
“We are facing a tough economic situation,” Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson said in a press release announcing her government’s spending plans. “Many people are battling to get together the money to pay the bills and that’s why it is so important for the government to fight inflation and support those who have it the hardest.”
But Svantesson argued that current high inflation levels meant it would be irresponsible to cut taxes on labour, something that her Moderate Party said it hoped to do during the election campaign. She said that the government would do this, however, as soon as inflation was under control.
For the same reason, Sweden’s municipalities and regions, which are facing heavy losses this year due to sharply rising costs, will have to wait until the autumn to find out if the government will increase their funding, she said.
Swedish vocab: a very difficult financial situation – an extremely tough economic situation
Wildcat strike extends Stockholm commuter chaos into second day
Train drivers working for SL, Stockholm’s regional transport organisation, continued their wildcat strike on Tuesday, with only about 20 percent of trains expected to be operating.
“It looks right now like there will be more or less the same level of disruption as yesterday, with very limited traffic on commuter trains,” said Henrik Palmér, press spokesperson for Stockholm’s traffic department.
SL is laying on extra buses, partly on sections going towards final stations and partly to bring travellers to their nearest underground stations.
Swedish vocab: limited – limited
Vattenfall wants to increase hydropower capacity by 720MW
Sweden’s state-owned power company Vattenfall wants to expand its hydropower capacity in four places in Sweden, hoping to increase its output by 720MW, a 9 percent increase on its current capacity.
The company has launched preliminary studies on the possibility of increasing capacity at four locations on the Umeälven and Lule älv rivers where there are already power stations.
“It’s pretty unique, we haven’t built on a large scale in Sweden since the 1990s so this is the first time in 30 years we’ve announced plans to expand our operations. If all four go ahead, you’re talking about several billion [kronor],” said Johan Dasht, the chief executive of Vattenfall Hydropower.
Swedish vocab: large scale – on a large scale
Sweden sets new record for solar cell build-out
The first three months of this year set a new record for solar panels in Sweden, with the number of cells put up growing by 160 percent compared to the same period of last year.
“This is the highest level ever for a three-month period,” said Anna Werner, chief executive of the trade body Svensk Solenergi. “In March alone 9,700 sites were connected. The previous monthly record was October 2022, when 5,700 sites were connected.”
Swedish vocab: a facility – a site/plant/piece of equipment
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