Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV

Norway's wealth fund unrepentantly focused on sustainable future promise

by

OSLO Sep 12, 2017 - 12:00 am GMT+3
by Sep 12, 2017 12:00 am

Norway has the world's largest sovereign wealth fund - a treasure chest nearly $1 trillion (830 billion euros) to be set aside for rainy days but also to help fund today's election promises.

How did a nation of 5.3 million people end up with the world's largest sovereign wealth fund?

Much can be learned from Aesop's fable, The Ant and the Grasshopper, about the benefits of planning for the future. The idea is that oil is a fortuitous natural resource that belongs to all Norwegians, benefitting both current and future generations by financing the expenses of the welfare state. When Norway's oil wells one day run dry, Norwegians will still be able to reap the benefits of the oil through the financial gains made by the Government Pension Fund Global (GPFG), as it is officially known.

Set up in 1990, the Norwegian government made its first deposit into the fund in May 1996 with a relatively modest check of less than 2 billion kroner (about $305 million).

Today, all of the state's oil revenues are placed in the fund: Taxes, profits from the state's holdings in oil and gas fields, and dividends from Statoil, owned 67 percent by the state.

Is it ‘open bar' for politicians?

Absolutely not. In 2001, Norway decided that governments could tap the fund to balance the budget, but only within a strictly-defined framework. The government is only allowed to use the fund's estimated returns, not the capital itself, to prevent the fund from being depleted.

The fund's estimated return was originally set at 4 percent (after inflation and management costs), but was slashed this year to 3 percent by the outgoing right-wing government. Norway's political parties have generally supported this figure and consider it more realistic for future financial investments.

Last year, for the first time, the government began withdrawing more from the fund than it put in, as oil revenues slumped due to the tumbling price of crude.

Even though this means Oslo has de facto stopped saving, the fund has continued to grow thanks to the yield on investments and the sometimes favorable exchange rate.

How do you manage so much money?

The Norwegian central bank manages the fund, which mainly invests in stocks (accounting for 65.1 percent of the portfolio at the end of the second quarter). With stakes in nearly 9,000 companies, the fund owns 1.3 percent of the world's market capitalisation, and 2.3 percent in Europe.

It also invests in bonds (32.4 percent of its portfolio) and is gradually increasing its real estate holdings (2.5 percent).

All investments are made outside Norway to avoid destabilizing the country's economy.

The fund follows strict ethical guidelines set by authorities.

It is barred from investing in companies accused of serious violations of human rights, child labor or serious environmental damage, as well as manufacturers of "particularly inhumane" arms and tobacco firms, and companies which derive a large part of their activities from coal.

More than 130 groups, including giants like Airbus, Boeing, British American Tobacco (BAT) and Walmart, have been excluded by the fund, and a dozen others placed under observation.

  • shortlink copied
  • RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    business
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    No Image
    Thousands of migrants stuck on Belarus-Poland border
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021