Welcome to our guests from Slovakia!

Martin W. Kulild, senior advisor at The County Governor,

Sogn og Fjordane

Norwegian Constitution

– Established in 1814

– Separation of powers between the

executive, legislative and judiciary

– Constitutional monarchy, but since

1884 the King has had no personal

powers in state matters

– Prime Minister Erna Solberg

(Conservative)

Norwegian Governance

– The County Governor

is the chief repre-

sentative of the King

and Government in

the county

– Sogn og Fjordane

County

The County Governor of Sogn

og Fjordane, Anne Karin Hamre

– The county governor is the chief

representative of the king and government in

each county

Norway

Norway has a total

area of 385,252 square

kilometres and a

population of

5,109,059 people (2014)

Large couty, few people…

108 000 inhabitants

26 municipalities

Solund 800 →

Førde 12 800

Long distances:

•Selje 3 Hrs

•Solund 3,5 Hrs

Norwegian Governance – municipalities

– Elected local government

– 428 municipalities

– Municipal responsibilities:

Primary education (ten years)

Kindergarten

Basic health and care services

Unemployment and social services

Zoning

Economic development

Municipal roads

Norwegian Governance – counties

– Elected regional government

– 19 counties

– 269 000 citizens in average

– County responsibilities:

Public transport

County roads

Secondary education (three years)

Regional culture

Regional economic development

Dental services

Norwegian Governance – county governors

– Appointed by government

– 17 county governors

– County governor responsibilities:

– Ensure that central government decisions and guidelines are implemented in the municipalities, through

Encouragement

Education

Supervision

Overturning decisions according to law

The office of the County Governor

– A guardian of civil rights.

– Review municipal decisions on behalf of citizens in

matters regarding

1.Environmental protection,

2.Agriculture,

3.Health and social care services,

4.Family affairs,

5.Education and kindergarten,

6.Building and planning,

7.Emergency planning

8.Municipal law and finance.

Municipal administration

– Responsibility to supervise and advise

municipalities on the law as it applies to

municipal bodies.

1. General matters

2. Particular legal issues

3. Budgetary matters

– The County Governor is also responsible for

communicating the views of central

government to the municipalities.

Municipal finances

–Responsibility for

1.providing advice

2.guidance

–On:

• regulatory matters

• municipal income

• central government budgetary policy.

How is municipals finansed ?

- Central government grants and

- Income-tax is the major source of revenue

- Property tax

KOSTRA – (Municipality-State-

Reporting) www.ssb.no/kostra

The key figures provide information on:

• economy,

• schools,

• health,

• culture,

• the environment,

• social services,

• public housing,

• technical services and

• transport and communication.

Control and supervision by the

County Gouvenor:

• a responsibility under the law to

supervise the overall economic and

administrative management of the

municipalities

• to contribute to the general reporting

from the municipalities to the central

government authorities.

Register for Governmental Approval

of Financial Obligations (ROBEK)

– the Credibility of the Register

• Information available at

http://robek.dep.no is considered to be

known by any co-contractor.

• A co-contractor cannot plead ignorance

based on being in good faith

• Approval by the County Governor is

needed for long-term renting and loans