- 19.05.2013 -

A NEW CLAIM FOR BILLIONS APPEARS

Additional Billion Kroner Bill Appears

ABCNYHETER

Ola Karlsen Mandag, 12.01.09 kl. 07:14

http://www.abcnyheter.no/node/81067

The State must now multiply by ten the possible number of north sea divers entitled to compensation. This can amount to an added 5 billion Nkr in claims to the responsible cabinet minister Dag Terje Andersen

 

          Dag Terje Andersen

 

Additional Billion Kroner Bill Comes Up

The Government now has to ten-fold the number of North Sea divers with the possible right to compensation. This may give the liable cabinet secretary Dag Terje Andersen an additional expense of nearly NOK 5 billions.

Just before Christmas, Parliamentary Commissioner Mr. Arne Fliflet asked the Government to reassess their views on a specific point in the so-called divers-case. So far, the Government has estimated that nearly 300 divers may be entitled to compensations after being injured in deep sea diving during the pioneer-period of Norway’s oil producing years.

           Sivilombudsmann Arne Fliflet

However, Mr. Fliflet is now asking the department of Labour- and Inclusive affairs (AID) to tenfold this number, and that further information regarding possibility of being compensated is provided by the Norwegian Government to almost as many as 3000 divers.

This far, 280 divers have been compensated NOK 500  millions, which indicates a possible payout of NOK 5 billions.

The Parliamentary Commissioners letter is now being considered by the Government, and they will not indicate when a decision will be made.

On a general basis, Mr. Fliflet assumes the Government follows these recommendations.

An important matter of welfare, states Parliamentary Commissioner Mr. Arne Fliflet.

The management usually is very responsible to my opinions.

If the administration have a better basis for their conclusions, they must be presented to me.

For those divers who have been affected by injuries, this is a very important social welfare issue, it means a lot to them. And one has reasonable basis to believe that more individuals may make claims, the administration has definitely reasons to try to reach all of them, says Mr. Arne Fliflet to ABC News.

- However, I’m now awaiting the Governments further discussions in this specific matter.

According to the Parliamentary Commissioner, he has not evaluated the economic aspects of the case.

-No, I have not looked into that. And I assume the possibility for huge payouts does not set guidelines on how the Government will seek to find those who might be eligible for compensation.

It’s the North Sea-Divers Alliance (NSDA) that has approached the Parliamentary Commissioner for his judgment. They have long opposed to the Governments estimated 300 pioneer-divers being alleged to a compensation.

The public "Lossius-Commission" which investigated the circumstances of the pioneer-divers in the North Sea, has also mentioned the same number. However, NSDA claims one should consider the amount of Bell Diver licenses being issued during this specific period of time, as this indicates the number of potential applicants may ten-fold.

The Parliamentary commissioner now agrees on this, however, within the divers committee the spirit is anything but joyful.

- Norway has made billions from this corrupt mess, according to less than impressed North Sea diver Rolf Guttorm Engebretsen.

- This comes too late. Only the previous week a pioneer-diver passed away, they die in front of our very eyes, says Rolf Guttorm Engebretsen (NSDA), who himself was injured, and has received his compensation from the Government.

In spite of this, he still senses a great bitterness regarding how the pioneer-divers have been treated by the Government.

Without us they would’ve been unable of pumping oil in the first place. They have made billions out of this mess, and we have been fooled for 17 years by those people, he says.