In the Oslo municipality’s revised budget, which was presented today, a budget gap of 5.2 billion was served to both voters and the opposition.
The price tag for the new reserve water solution for the capital has risen from 12.5 to 17.7 billion – and that only three months after the start of construction.
The responsible city councilor is environmental councilor Lan Marie Berg (MDG), and the Oslo Conservatives are now announcing that they will immediately call her in for a hearing to get an answer on how this could happen.
– This is probably the biggest budget gap in any Norwegian municipality ever. We will of course have a hearing as soon as possible. This must have consequences, because it is quite extreme. I was shocked when I saw the numbers today, says Anne Haabeth Rygg, Conservative group leader in Oslo City Council, to Dagbladet.
– Embarrassed to be Norwegian
– Ante nothing
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority has ordered the City of Oslo to carry out the project, which will be the municipality’s largest single investment ever.
Haabeth Rygg says she had no idea about the budget gap before it was presented during today’s press conference. She reacts strongly to this.
– I had no idea. It’s amazing too! A budget crack worth two new Holmenkollen facilities, and City Councilor Berg has not informed the City Council in advance. It is actually unbelievable, it is so irresponsible that I have no words, says the Conservative top.
Erna calls in on the carpet: – Tragic
Two possibilities
Lan Marie Berg hopes to leave her job as city councilor to become a parliamentary representative after the election this autumn.
In that case, there will be a big stain on the CV, according to Haabeth Rygg.
– We are left with two options; either City Councilor Berg did not know anything, or she has deliberately kept the city council in the dark. Both are equally bad, says Haabeth Rygg, and adds:
– The diving tower at Hamar is peanuts compared to this.
In the budget, the cost gap of 5.2 billion is justified by the fact that the costs have been higher than expected when “the original cost calculation was developed and quality assured”.
«Desperate» Listhaug: – MDG damages Norway
Price growth
In other words, price growth in the construction market is to blame.
– The fact that prices in the construction market are rising, we have seen in many large projects for which the public sector is responsible. We saw it, for example, on the Intercity stretch that goes to the Moss area, which increased by 70 percent. But it is very sad that the development in the market makes the projects more expensive, City Council Secretary Morten Nordskag (MDG) told Aftenposten earlier today.
Nordskag has not responded to Dagbladet’s inquiries in the case.
Responsible city councilor Lan Marie Berg did not attend today’s press conference due to illness.
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