Børsen wrote yesterday about tourism founder Vegard Berge Uglebakken (37), who recently opened an Italian restaurant in Alta.
The plan is clear: Pizza of the highest quality will be baked in what is referred to as the world’s northernmost wood – fired pizza oven. Pasta dishes, with the chef’s hand-picked ingredients, must be made from scratch. 20 employees will be on the payroll.
There was only one problem.
Nektes cook: – Pig tackle
Denied
Norwegian authorities have refused the chef, Italian Christian Giaccotto (35), to take the trip from Malta to Alta.
– We are completely dependent on getting him Christian here. He will drive as only an Italian “chef” can when the concept is Italian restaurant, Uglebakken told Børsen.
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He added that he has applied for the competence in Norway, but that “the interest in moving to Finnmark is non-existent”.
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“Not necessary”
The Italian chef was not “strictly necessary” to run the place. And the restaurant – with the aforementioned 20 jobs – does not provide sufficient “increased value creation and employment in Norway”.
This was at least the reasoning in the refusal that Uglebakken received on the application for an exemption from the entry restrictions for foreign labor with special skills.
Uglebakken despaired over the three rejections from the Norwegian Maritime Directorate, which administers the scheme for applications to bring in critically important labor.
– Treated as rubbish
He estimates that two months of the expected high season will fail as a result of the refusal, in addition to a monthly loss of NOK 300,000.
Snur
The day after Børsen discussed the case, however, the Norwegian Maritime Directorate turned around.
– I have been informed that there is a basis for giving the chef an entry permit anyway, says communications director in the Norwegian Maritime Directorate, Dag Inge Aarhus, to Børsen.
He says it is not possible to appeal decisions, but that the directorate often goes into cases and sees if the right decision has been made.
Aarhus can not comment on individual cases, other than that it is a comprehensive justification that causes the directorate to turn around.
– It is a demanding scheme, which was introduced urgently, and it is a big job to process the applications. We are starting to get a good routine and capacity to process these now.
He states that so far they have received 20,000 applications for exemptions from the entry restrictions. About half are rejected.
– Haven’t met in a year
– Fantastic
The pizza entrepreneur rejoices over the news.
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– Absolutely fantastic that they have now understood the importance of the chef. We’ll fly him in tomorrow. Finally we can plan the opening. It is clear that the Norwegian Maritime Directorate has looked into the matter after you wrote about it yesterday, Uglebakken told Børsen on Tuesday.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Uglebakken questioned that the Norwegian Maritime Directorate approved the Brann player Vieux Sané (31) from Senegal’s entry application – the same day they received it.
– Our pizza restaurant is also a team. Without the chef, the team does not work, just as a football team does not work without a captain, says Uglebakken.
However, he praises the Norwegian Maritime Directorate for the turnaround operation, and is keen to look ahead.
Beer bonanza: – Never sold again
– We have had a bad feeling. It was critical for us to be able to open in June. We have invested millions in new interiors, floors, walls and pipes. The coffee machine alone cost 350,000.
Uglebakken says it is now gratifying to have predictability.
– The worst thing about the pandemic is the unpredictability. Now we can plan an opening.
Uglebakken expects a pressure of tourists to Alta this summer.
– Now that people can not go to Italy, we are ready to take Italy to Finnmark.
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