Tax, customs and execution

Eric Westroth (SD)

Mr. Speaker! Tonight we shall debate expenditure area 3 and the conditions we shall provide for the authorities that fall under it: Skatteverket, Tullverket and Kronofogdemyndigheten.

I want to begin by stating that unfortunately, for a long time, we have seen societal development heading in the wrong direction. Certainly, many in Sweden have had it better materially, but we have also seen how insecurity and crime quickly spread across the country. It is no longer only in the so-called marginalized areas where organized crime resides, but it is creeping ever closer into people's everyday lives on streets, squares, schools, and workplaces. Hardly a day goes by without we can read in the newspapers about executions in broad daylight, about bombings, and about how even emergency services personnel become innocent victims in the criminal gangs' pursuit of status and violence capital.

The authorities that fall under expenditure area 3 may at first glance not seem to have much to do with crime fighting. I want to highlight that it is the opposite. All these three authorities have as their main task to secure the financing of the public sector, contribute to a well-functioning society for the public and companies, and counter crime. They shall therefore, in addition to ensuring that the correct taxes, customs duties, fees, and debts are paid, also be an important cog in society's crime fighting and the work of preventing crime and criminality.

Mr. Speaker! In the 2024 budget, the government, together with the Sweden Democrats, proposes an appropriation for the relevant expenditure area of just over 16.8 billion kronor. This means a reinforcement of just over 750 million kronor for the relevant authorities.

In addition to this, we also compensate those born in 1957 with 3.2 billion kronor for the increased basic deduction that the previous red-green government managed to miss for that group.

Regarding the authorities within expenditure area 3, they have stated an overall objective to ensure the financing of the public sector. Skatteverket determines and reports the majority of the taxes paid in Sweden. Tullverket determines and collects customs, taxes, and fees in connection with export and import. Kronofogden shall collect debts for both the public sector and private creditors.

Mr. Speaker! In addition to its task of determining and reporting taxes, the Swedish Tax Agency also has several important and crime-fighting functions. It must, of course, audit and ensure that the correct taxes are paid. Tax evasion and tax fraud are phenomena that must be combated at all levels, both internationally and nationally. But one must also ensure that payments from the welfare system are correct, as fraud with the welfare system is at least as serious as tax fraud.

Skatteverket has today several systems that either automatically or upon request share information with foreign tax authorities in order to combat tax evasion and cross-border tax fraud. But then one can also ask, when one exchanges privacy-sensitive data with foreign authorities, why one is not even allowed to exchange data between other Swedish authorities or even between different departments at Skatteverket.

Of course, the secrecy between Swedish authorities must be loosened to prevent criminal activities that threaten our welfare system. This is something that the government, together with the Sverigedemokraterna, is currently reviewing.

Another important task that falls upon the Swedish Tax Agency is to manage the population register. Order and clarity in the population register is a prerequisite for a well-functioning society. This is so that earned tax is paid in the correct municipality, but also to prevent an improper use of the welfare system.

We do not only need to know who lives in Sweden, where they live, but also who should not be in Sweden. It can be people who are here illegally, either to work without a permit or because they have been denied their asylum application and are to be deported.

But we also need to know who are registered as residents in Sweden but who actually do not live here. We have all surely read about the well-known examples of Iraq's former defense minister and also an official in the former Afghan government, both of whom were registered as residents in Sweden and withdrew compensations from the welfare system but who in reality lived and worked in their respective home countries.

We have also been able to read about people who have managed to obtain multiple identities, which can be extremely practical if one wants to commit crimes or maximize benefit payments.

The Swedish Tax Agency itself estimates that approximately 200,000 people are incorrectly registered in Sweden. Many of them are, admittedly, by pure mistake. But unfortunately, the inaccuracies are also intentional, many times with the aim of obtaining more benefits from the welfare system or to live in a shadow society where people risk being exploited for undeclared work or other crime.

Having control over who lives in Sweden and who does not live in Sweden should be in our nation's interest. In the Tidö Agreement, there is a point regarding a national census. We are allocating an additional 95 million kronor to this, and the investment now totals 170 million kronor.

Already now, the Swedish Tax Agency has announced a scale-up of the number of residency checks, and a capacity for approximately 100 inspection visits per week is being built for next year. That there were 733 apartments in Sweden last month where more than ten people were registered as residents is a clear sign that this is an entirely necessary measure.

Mr. Speaker! The Swedish Customs Service has as its primary task to ensure that the correct duties and taxes are paid in cross-border trade of goods. But the Customs Service is the authority that stands at the forefront at Sweden's border crossings and whom we rely on to stop attempts at narcotics smuggling and illegal importation of weapons, which feed the gang criminals' coffers and increase their capital of violence.

We have recently seen widespread dissatisfaction among Customs officials in the media. Primarily, it concerns allowing customs officers in field service to be armed in the same way as a police officer. It is not an unreasonable demand, one might think, since they do not know who is in the cars they stop for inspection and that violence in society in general has become increasingly severe.

It has now gone so far that for work environment reasons they will no longer stop vehicles where they suspect the passengers are dangerous, but instead they will delegate this to an already overburdened police authority. An investigation is currently underway regarding the customs officers and their equipment and powers, so we will surely have reason to return to this issue in the committee.

If we look at the Swedish Customs, we see that there is another problem that the Sweden Democrats have highlighted for a long time, namely the authority's limited possibilities to stop stolen goods in the outgoing flow. Tullverket has been granted expanded powers regarding this, but obviously, it is not enough.

According to the customs service itself, this opportunity has a relatively small impact on the trafficking of stolen goods, as it has neither received an expanded mandate to search for stolen goods nor received more resources to perform this. We have learned from the Swedish Customs itself that only 2 percent of the inspection time is spent on the inspection of outgoing goods, for which rural residents in southern Sweden have often paid the price in the form of stolen boat motors, ATVs, lawnmowers, chainsaws, and horse accessories.

Now, it is the case that in the Tidö Agreement there is a point about the export of stolen goods being criminalized, which will give Tullverket the powers needed to be able to actively search for stolen goods on their way out of the country. It will also have a crime-preventive effect by increasing the risk of getting caught.

Mr. Speaker! When it comes to the Swedish Enforcement Authority, it has a task to work so that everyone pays and no one becomes over-indebted. But it also has an important task in crime fighting. When working together with other authorities in so-called agency cooperation, we have seen successful work.

The Swedish Enforcement Authority, with its expanded possibility for remote seizure, has successfully been able to seize exclusive clothes, expensive accessories, and cars from individuals who on paper have no assets but who have debts and not infrequently to crime victims.

This is also an effective way to reduce the incentives for criminals to display similar luxury products and thereby also reduce the attraction it can have to lure in new younger people into crime and for recruitment into the gangs.

Madam Speaker! In summary, the agencies under expenditure area 3 are relatively small, but so important for society to function. Public trust in these agencies is high in surveys, and all three performed above the average in Kantar Public's reputation index for agencies 2023. Now we take steps forward to further raise the level and the capacity in these agencies' important work.

I hereby move for the approval of the committee's proposal in the report in its entirety.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Patrik Björck (S)

Madam Speaker! I just want to clarify initially that we Social Democrats abstain from taking a position regarding the budget decision and instead present our considerations in our special statement. But you will not escape that so easily. I also intend to give our view from the rostrum on expenditure area 3 Tax, customs and execution.

We live in a tough time today. The economic downturn and the crisis hit households, welfare, and employment with full force. Housing construction is coming to a grinding halt, unemployment is increasing, and growth is negative. At the same time, the brutal gang violence and insecurity continue to spread in our country. Sweden is becoming both poorer and more dangerous.

In Sweden, we finance our welfare and security collectively. A fundamental prerequisite for this is that the authorities tasked with ensuring the financing of the public sector are characterized by efficiency and accuracy, and that they enjoy a high level of trust among the public and companies.

The Swedish Tax Agency, the Swedish Customs Service, and the Swedish Enforcement Authority perform central tasks for the state. The Social Democrats therefore want to strengthen the agencies' work in creating order and clarity, in countering fraud and crime, and in safeguarding a stable and solidary financing of our common commitments.

That the public and companies have a high level of confidence in the tax system is central to the Swedish welfare model. It is important that the authorities are clearly directed to continue the work of simplification. Tax evasion and tax crimes threaten our social cohesion and erode the funding of our common welfare and security. It also risks challenging the legitimacy of the entire tax system.

Madam Speaker! The entire society needs to mobilize to combat organized crime. The criminal economy and the flow of money to organized crime must be choked off. The Swedish Tax Agency, the Swedish Customs Service, and the Swedish Enforcement Authority have a very important role in this work. The authorities need to cooperate more with each other and with other authorities to combat all types of crime.

The Social Democrats therefore want to improve the exchange of information between authorities to facilitate the work. We want to implement the necessary reforms so that this can be carried out with full efficiency.

The work of the Swedish Tax Agency and several other relevant authorities to combat crime in the labor market needs to be strengthened. Crime in the labor market affects the individual worker, who is exploited under appalling conditions. It affects the entire labor market, and it distorts competition to the detriment of serious companies. Crime in the labor market is part of organized crime.

The Swedish Customs Service has a crucial role in stopping drugs and firearms from being brought into the country. It is very important that the Swedish Customs Service can continue to strengthen its crime-fighting work.

To seriously tackle the criminal gangs, the flow of narcotics, weapons, and other illegal goods must be choked off. Customs (Tullverket) needs to receive the necessary resources for the work. We Social Democrats therefore believe that Customs' appropriation should be increased and that the proposals in the customs powers investigation should be submitted to the Riksdag for a decision urgently so that Customs receives all necessary powers to fulfill its important mission.

It is remarkable, Madam Speaker, that the government does not maintain a higher pace in this very important work.

There must be order and clarity in our registers. Inaccuracies in the population register create major problems for the entire society. The information in the population register forms the basis for other authorities' decisions. The Social Democratic governments implemented a change of course in the work with the population register. It began with the reintroduction of the population register offense, which was removed by the previous Moderate-led government.

This work, Madam Speaker, then continued with new tools and powers for the Swedish Tax Agency in order to be able to create order and clarity. We Social Democrats took responsibility in a government position, in contrast to the SD-led government which completely lacks policy in this area.

The Swedish Enforcement Authority also has important competence and important tasks to identify signs of over-indebtedness early. This work is particularly prioritized in times of economic crisis, when many households risk falling into debt that creates long-term problems for the individual and for society. The work must continue.

The Social Democrats welcome that the government has presented a proposed solution for those born in 1957 and 1959 who have been affected by tax law changes in the pension system.

This was what I wanted to say regarding the budget part itself. But I also want to point out, Madam Speaker, that it is naturally important in a budget debate to discuss resources and to report how one finances the proposals and reforms that are put forward. But it is equally important to understand that even though money is important, government competence is absolutely crucial for one to succeed in carrying out their policy.

Madam Speaker! I have two examples. We are allocating 100 million more than the government to strengthen the customs' important work, but we are also prepared to give the customs powers and tools to be able to do a better job. The government does neither.

The Tidö parties went to the election on a promise to carry out a full-scale census. It is a campaign promise that they have forgotten after the election. That is, in itself, the case with all campaign promises made by the Tidö parties; they forget them when the election is over. They have also done so when it comes to carrying out a census.

In the spring, the government presented a proposal to carry out some kind of reinforcement of the population registration - unclear how. Now it turns out that the SD-led government is in fact scaling back the work to counter population registration fraud. More than 100 people at Skatteverket who work with countering fraud in the population registration are being laid off due to the Tidö parties' inability to govern the country.

Madam Speaker! Money is important - that is what a budget debate is about. But we must also acknowledge that without government competence, nothing gets done.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Eric Westroth (SD)

Madam Speaker! I had not intended to request the floor, but I nevertheless wish to reflect a little on what Patrik Björck says when he speaks about the government's fitness to govern.

During the Social Democrats' last two terms in government, they have presented seven budgets that have been passed. In those, they have on average allocated an extra 4.5 percent to Tullverket. Now, while they are in opposition, they want to allocate a full 14 percent to Tullverket. That much the Social Democrats have never allocated to Tullverket when they have been in government.

I would therefore just like to ask Patrik Björck if he considers that the Social Democrats conduct a better policy for Tullverket in opposition than in a government position. In that case, they do not involve their other government colleagues in the proposals when they add funds to Tullverket.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Patrik Björck (S)

Madam Speaker! We Social Democrats excel in governing competence. That is what has built this country as strong as it is. The problems that have arisen in Sweden have arisen when we have not had the opportunity to govern. That is the short summary of 100 years of history.

When it comes to different budget items, they naturally vary over the years in different budgets. But, Madam Speaker, that we have strengthened the customs during the time we have governed, Eric Westroth from Sverigedemokraterna has already stated, so I do not need to tell the audience.

Since I have Eric Westroth before me, I want to say something about the population registry. He raised it in his speech. Now it seems that this work is about to disappear completely from the authorities' desks during the time that the SD-led government is acting. And it is acting with budgets that Eric Westroth has had an opportunity to influence.

How is it that the election promise to carry out a full-scale census has been completely swept off the face of the earth? That, Madam Speaker, would be interesting to hear.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Eric Westroth (SD)

Madam Speaker! I haven't had time to govern, I was about to say. Of the last 40 years, 27 have been governed by the Social Democrats in various constellations.

When it comes to the population registration, it is a work that is ongoing in the Government Offices. As I said in my speech, we are allocating 95 million kronor in additional resources to the census that is to be carried out. The investigation that was conducted by Skatteverket on measures to secure the population registration is being prepared within the Government Offices. There, it is proposed, among other things, that one should be able to confirm one's population registration address through one's tax return. It is a census of the people.

Contrary to what Patrik Björck says, work is indeed being carried out. We are allocating resources, and work is ongoing to investigate what should be done in the best way. The work must naturally be done where it yields the best return. As I said, the number of residency checks will increase by up to 100 per week next year.

So, work is underway, and the Swedish Tax Agency will receive the resources needed to complete a national census. It is not a broken election promise, and this will be carried out. I can promise that to Patrik Björck.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Patrik Björck (S)

Madam Speaker! When we were in power, we implemented dramatic tightenings of the Population Registration Act. We reintroduced the population registration offense, and we gave the Swedish Tax Agency powerfully expanded opportunities to conduct inspection visits.

To address the problem of people registering where someone else already lives, we gave Skatteverket the possibility to forcibly re-register someone even during the time the issue is being investigated. We also carried out historical tightenings of the identity checks in the population register. If a person moves to Sweden, that person must personally report to Skatteverket for identity check and check of biometric data.

It is workshop. It is social democracy. What Eric Westroth is talking about, Madam Speaker, is some kind of dreams and fantasies.

In the work itself, Eric Westroth's policy has led to the Tax Agency laying off a hundred people in the last few days who were to be involved in strengthening the population registration. Well, no one believes that a hundred officials leaving their duties strengthens the work with the population registration.

We did the workshop. You talk and talk, but it doesn't help if nothing gets done. Money is needed, and governing competence is needed. We are ready to provide both.

When Magdalena Andersson was Finance Minister, resources to the customs were increased, just as Eric Westroth here has confirmed. But it is not enough. We face a new situation that requires new and sharper measures. Customs must become stronger. The Swedish border must be guarded more strictly so that the Swedish people become safer. Every weapon stopped at the border can mean a saved life. Every gram of narcotics seized is a lost revenue in the criminal economy.

We will propose further reinforcements in our continued budget work. This year, we are allocating 100 million more than Eric Westroth and the Tidö parties. We are also prepared to ensure promptly that the customs service receives greater powers. That is social democracy. That is workshop. That is for real.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Marie Nicholson (M)

Madam Speaker! I would like to begin by expressing my support for the committee's proposal.

I also want to begin by stating that in expenditure area 3, we find authorities with high prestige and good trust among the public. These are authorities that both the government and the National Audit Office consider to have a satisfactory level of goal fulfillment.

I started here because order and structure are important - perhaps especially in this expenditure area, whose primary goal is to ensure the financing of the public sector. And if we stick to just order and structure for a moment, it is in the tax gap we should stop, that is, the difference between what is theoretically possible and reality.

The calculation of the tax gap is not an exact science, as it relies heavily on estimates, but we can still say on good grounds that the tax gap in Sweden is probably not at any remarkable level. Attitude surveys among private individuals show that fewer and fewer people know people who work illegally or hire illegal labor. Business owners' experience of disloyal competition or tax evasion among other business owners is also decreasing. It is a good development.

Likewise, the work to both simplify and control must continue. It should be easy to do the right thing. The regulatory burden and the administrative costs for our companies must decrease. Good conditions for entrepreneurship are a must and important for our economic growth.

Digital services are being used more and more, and more digital services also need to become accessible. For example, 92 percent of Swedes receive their tax return via digital mailboxes. This has made handling easier and faster, and the information is more often correct. The need for manual handling of income taxes, VAT, and employer contributions has not increased despite the number of cases increasing. Sweden is simply good at collecting tax. On the other hand, there is work to be done within the control activities, both on the income side to detect tax fraud and on the payment side.

In 2024, the Disbursement Authority will begin its operations. The Swedish Tax Agency and the Swedish Enforcement Authority will need to adapt their operations to contribute to the work of preventing, deterring, and detecting incorrect payments. For this reason, the appropriations to these two agencies are increased by 6 million and 1 million respectively.

Madam Speaker! Behind an incorrect payment, there is not always a malicious intent. But unfortunately, we have been far too naive for far too long, and criminals are exploiting the Swedish welfare systems. They steal from the Swedish state and from Swedish taxpayers. This must and shall be stopped.

Organized crime is a serious threat to our open society. Skatteverket, Kronofogdemyndigheten, and Tullverket are important actors in the work to counter and stop crime. In cooperation with other authorities, this work needs to be intensified. Skatteverket has the opportunity to increase controls, put a stop to companies used as criminal tools, and with the help of more digital tools, detect and stop tax fraud. Tullverket needs to increase its crime-fighting work to stop illegal firearms and narcotics already at the border and stop the systematic export of stolen goods from the country. Kronofogden is the link that can ensure the prevention and stopping of economic crime.

I have said "stop" many times now. I believe that is exactly how everyone feels regarding the organized and violent crime in Sweden: Stop! Enough is enough!

To counter and combat crime, it is proposed that the appropriation to Skatteverket be increased by 100 million. This is 100 million in addition to the increases previously decided, including among others 170 million to improve the population registration through a census, as well as an additional 9 million for expanded possibilities to use secret coercive measures.

It is proposed that the appropriation be increased by 100 million also for Tullverket. Previously, 200 million was decided for strengthening Tullverket's crime-fighting work. 65 million was previously appropriated for expanded possibilities to use secret coercive measures and 105 million to strengthen operational work, IT development, and the fight against waste crime.

67.5 million is proposed for the appropriation for the Swedish Enforcement Authority to be increased, with an additional 100 million planned for 2025.

Finally, the Swedish Tax Agency is also given the task of compensating those born in 1957 who were not covered by the increased basic deduction. Here we find many who likely had an extra heavy year and whose economic circumstances could not be planned properly due to a lack of information. I am glad that in this budget we have been able to prioritize the compensation to them.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Ilona Szatmári Waldau (V)

Madam Speaker! Drugs flow across our borders, despite major seizures, and Sweden has become Europe's new transit country for drugs. The number of persons with protected personal data is increasing sharply, while three out of four hidden women state that they have had their information disclosed. More and more people end up with the Enforcement Authority for unpaid debts, and never before has the total debt amount been so high. The number of applications for debt restructuring is also at a record high, and it is the 18-30 age group that is increasing the most.

In that situation, the majority of the Riksdag chooses to impose an efficiency requirement on Tullverket, Kronofogdemyndigheten, and Skatteverket totaling over 135 million kronor. Skatteverket has already announced that 180 of the permanent employees may leave the agency this year.

It is obvious that the majority gives with one hand and takes with the other. In order to further increase the ambition in the crime-fighting and crime-preventing work, reinforcements were first given to Skatteverket, Tullverket, and Kronofogdemyndigheten. In the port of Gothenburg, the Prime Minister and the Minister for Finance recently described how much better it would become with the government's investment – without mentioning that the efficiencies and cost increases mean that the agencies rather have to dismiss than hire. The three directors-general have all been clear that the money is not sufficient.

When I have visited the Customs Service's operations in different parts of the country, the consistent picture is that they are insufficient. They are too few to be able to carry out the controls they would need to perform. At the same time, drugs, weapons, and much more are smuggled across the border on a scale that has even caused the EU to react to how Sweden manages its external border, that is, our ports. It is not the fault of the customs officers or the Customs Service, but it is the government and the majority of the Riksdag that can be blamed when the customs service does not receive the resources needed to be able to perform its work.

Vänsterpartiet proposed a large supplement to Tullverket in the budget for 2023, and in our budget proposal for 2024, we proposed 28 million more to Tullverket than the majority.

Madam Speaker! We can see how households are being pressured by falling real incomes, high food prices, and sharply rising mortgage interest rates, while banking and food giants make record profits at the consumers' expense. It is the responsibility of the government and the Sverigedemokrater to ensure that we as a society get through the crisis together, to distribute the burdens of the crisis fairly. Instead, they contribute to households being brought to their knees through their shocking passivity and that more and more people end up with the Enforcement Authority.

When the number of people in debt to the Enforcement Authority increases, the risk of suicide also increases. A fairly recent research report shows that suicide is more than twice as common among people who have unpaid debts with the Enforcement Authority. Households are now being squeezed more and more and end up with the Enforcement Authority for small amounts, for unpaid rents and electricity bills. Once they have ended up there, the debts increase rapidly and the economy becomes even worse. With more and more people in debt to the Enforcement Authority, there is also an obvious risk of more suicides. What are the majority's measures to reduce debt and the risk of suicide, other than an investigation that does not even mention those in debt?

Where are the measures so that children of those in debt do not have to celebrate Christmas without Christmas food and without Christmas presents? They may also have become homeless because they have been evicted from their home? Where are the measures?

We could see how the waiting times for processing debt restructuring at the beginning of the autumn had increased by 25 percent from 75 days to 96 days on average. With the government's budget, the processing days will not decrease. More will have to wait for debt restructuring, if they even get any.

The Swedish Enforcement Authority's work is therefore important to prevent over-indebtedness, but it is also an important instance in the crime-combating and crime-preventing work. Where are the measures for the Swedish Enforcement Authority to be able to perform its important work of seizing criminals' assets? Just like for other agencies, the government's so-called investment disappears in general savings and cost increases. In the Left Party's budget proposal, we have no general savings. This means that the Swedish Enforcement Authority would receive approximately 21.5 million extra for the important crime-preventing work.

Finally, we have the Swedish Tax Agency. When three out of four hidden women experience that their personal data is cleared, it indicates that the Swedish Tax Agency needs to work with secrecy. I know that the agency is doing this, but when one works under stress and is understaffed, the risk of making mistakes increases. The government's efficiency requirements will increase stress-related mistakes and processing times for those who are already vulnerable.

Skatteverket is also the authority of the three authorities that has the highest efficiency requirements, so the government's so-called initiative to counter and prevent crime is being eaten up by cuts and cost increases, which also affects the work against tax evasion and tax avoidance. With the Left Party's budget proposal, Skatteverket would have received nearly 86 million more as well as an additional 10 million for a new regulatory framework for sickness benefit-based incomes. From the Left Party's side, we do not consider the government's intended population census to be the right priority. But we think it is important with improved control of population registration and protection of personal data. Therefore, we let the money for this remain with the authority.

Madam Speaker! The Riksdag has reached a decision on the frameworks for the expenditure areas and chooses cuts for these three important agencies. Vänsterpartiet therefore abstains from participating in the decision on expenditure area 3 and refers to our special statement in the committee.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Cecilia Engström (KD)

Madam Speaker! We are debating, as stated, the appropriations for the Swedish Tax Agency, the Swedish Customs Service, and the Swedish Enforcement Authority. They are all three agencies that enjoy great trust among our residents. They are to ensure the financing of the public sector and welfare, contribute to a well-functioning society for the public and companies, and counteract crime.

For us Christian Democrats, Sweden's companies are important. For them, the regulatory burden and administrative costs need to decrease. The regulations and routines that the authorities themselves manage should therefore be as simple as possible and preferably digital to be easily accessible for many.

Tax evasion and tax avoidance damage free and fair competition and deprive society of large revenues. It reduces the resources for our common welfare.

Madam Speaker! The authorities' work to reduce incorrect payments from public grants and counteract tax evasion shall be strengthened. The new Payment Authority will start during 2024. Skatteverket and Kronofogdemyndigheten have been tasked to prevent, preclude, and detect incorrect payments and to work together with the new authority when it is in place.

Madam Speaker! The Swedish Tax Agency, the Swedish Customs Service, and the Swedish Enforcement Authority have an important mission to counter crime, especially organized crime. It is a serious threat to the open society, fair competition conditions for companies, the individual's freedom, and the foundations of our rule of law. It is positive how these agencies have contributed to the work within the inter-agency initiative against organized crime that has been carried out to break the gangs' economy.

Madam Speaker! The Swedish Tax Agency has investigated and prosecuted several crimes with links to organized crime. The Swedish Customs Service has seized large quantities of narcotics and weapons at our border, and the Swedish Enforcement Authority has seized assets from those who have dealings with organized crime. These are all important efforts that prevent and counteract crime.

Illegal work, smuggling, tax evasion, and money laundering are serious crimes that must be stopped. The government has maintained a high ambition in the crime-fighting work. Therefore, the authorities receive reinforcements in their budgets specifically for this work.

Madam Speaker! The data in the population register shall reflect the population's residence, identity, and family law status. It is a prerequisite for social functions to have a correct basis for decisions and actions. Inaccuracies in the population register create problems for the entire society. A strengthened population register gives the state better conditions to combat crime.

Skatteverket has carried out many initiatives to gain better control over who is staying illegally in Sweden and to combat welfare crime and organized crime. Many regulatory changes have been implemented that have helped to create order in the population register. But the work needs to continue, and therefore they continue to receive an increased appropriation for it. Then Skatteverket makes its own assessments of how best to carry out this work. The government does not intervene and direct exactly how it should be performed.

Madam Speaker! Several before me have spoken about the appropriations to the various authorities. Skatteverket receives increased appropriations, among other things to counter and prevent crime.

We Christian Democrats are also particularly pleased with an addition to the Swedish Tax Agency to compensate those who were born in 1957 and who were charged too high a tax when the age limit for the increased basic deduction was raised. It is an error that we have pointed out many times and which will now be corrected.

The Swedish Customs' appropriation is increased to increase the ambition in crime-fighting and crime-prevention work. They also receive an increased appropriation for expanded opportunities to use secret and preventive coercive measures and in this way access crime.

The Swedish Enforcement Authority also receives the increased appropriations to increase the ambition in crime prevention work, while at the same time they receive a share of the general savings that other agencies also receive. It is in some way right that they also get to save when households in our country are forced to do so.

Madam Speaker! Sweden faces several challenges. High inflation and interest rates continue to pressure households and companies. It is therefore important that the state budget does not increase with inflation, which reduces the value of wages and savings for our residents.

The Swedish Enforcement Authority has very good competence in identifying early those who may end up in over-indebtedness. They take the preventive measures that can support the parties when it comes to resolving conflicts and mediation voluntarily.

But they can also help those who risk falling into ill health when the economy collapses. Therefore, the preventive work is very important, and the authority has good competence in that area. The Christian Democrats would like to see us continue working with this and that contact is also maintained with healthcare, where suicide can be prevented – something that often occurs when people fall into an economic crisis.

Madam Speaker! We Christian Democrats are pleased that we have also succeeded in making investments in those who are having the hardest time today in the budget. The extension of the increase of the housing allowance through a supplementary allowance that goes to single parents with children is a priority that we see is important to make in these times.

Furthermore, the leisure card will be introduced during next year, which means money for children's and young people's leisure activities. They shall be able to continue with their activities even if the family's finances are tough. Children should not have to stop with football or piano when the family has to prioritize other things.

Madam Speaker! The Swedish Tax Agency, the Swedish Customs Service, and the Swedish Enforcement Authority have important missions. They are to ensure the financing of the public sector, contribute to a well-functioning society, and counter crime. These missions are strengthened through this budget.

I vote in favor of the committee's proposal.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Helena Lindahl (C)

Madam Speaker! I do as some of my colleagues do and begin with what I usually forget at the end. Since the parliamentary majority in the first step of the budget process has given the budget policy a different direction than the one we in Centerpartiet desire, I abstain from taking a position regarding the allocation of appropriations within expenditure area 3 and refer to our special statement.

In the Center Party's shadow budget, we would like to add almost 37 million extra to Tullverket because we see that the agency needs to be strengthened, not least with more working people across the country and more tools such as AI and other digital tools.

The Swedish Customs Service performs an incredibly important job when it comes to ensuring that weapons, drugs, and other prohibited goods are not imported into the country. Unfortunately, the import to Sweden of, among other things, drugs is increasing quite significantly. During the first half of this year, the customs service has seized as much cocaine and cannabis as during the entire of last year. Furthermore, the seizures of amphetamine and heroin have increased very significantly.

This shows two things: that the Swedish Customs Service is doing a very good job and that the trade and import of drugs into our country is enormous, perhaps larger than we have ever imagined.

Madam Speaker! Drug trafficking today exists not only in the cities but in the entire country. Recently, Customs officials in Haparanda seized two kilograms of amphetamine, wrapped as a Christmas present, from a man who had traveled by train from Örebro. This was the origin of a criminal network being exposed in northern Sweden. In the man's phone and computer, customs officials found information, photos, and audio files that have led to more people now being suspected of being part of the network. Furthermore, five people are now being prosecuted in the case at Haparanda District Court. That is very good.

Furthermore, I also want to mention that there are requests from customs personnel for better armament, which some of my colleagues here have touched upon. More of the staff need to be armed, quite simply, something that I know the government is also reviewing right now; that is good. Today, customs officers are allowed to carry a pistol during targeted surveillance against serious crime, but not in places such as ferry terminals, airports, and the like. If customs officers, for example, are to monitor a large shipment of narcotics, which may have been equipped with GPS by criminals who want to know where the shipment is, it is not so strange if one feels an incredibly great insecurity and a great discomfort if, at such an occasion, one is completely unarmed as a customs officer. So that absolutely should not be the case.

Unfortunately, Madam Speaker, a considerable amount of time for certain authorities, not least the Swedish Tax Agency, is spent trying to curb welfare crime, tax evasion, and other crimes. Some try to hide their identity, and others have several different identities and also addresses. This fraud and this criminality hollow out our common welfare.

To tackle this, there are different ways for the authorities to work. One proposal that has come from Skatteverket and which you have all surely heard about is that more thorough checks should be made of address changes, which until now have been carried out quite easily and without follow-up. The proposal means that the person living at an address affected by an unauthorized address change shall receive information about this from Skatteverket and then have the opportunity to react before Skatteverket makes a decision on the changed population registration for the person who has reported the move.

It is a good start, but I believe this is something that could only be used in the shorter perspective, before better ways have been found than to place the problem on the individual, who is to report back to Skatteverket. You also understand what it implies, especially if the person reporting the move is a criminal and illegally wants to register at your address. It puts the individual in a position where, in the worst case, they could face retaliation, if things go wrong. The best thing would be to find a way for residents to themselves, in advance, block strangers from registering at the address.

As has been said, there are plenty of tedious examples of the abuse of today's simple change of address. If all the explosions carried out at addresses where criminals are registered but do not live testify to this, for example.

Madam Speaker! You may have seen that the Center Party proposes that we should reduce the grant to the Swedish Tax Agency quite significantly, specifically by approximately 184 million kronor in 2024. Why, one might wonder.

The largest reduction actually concerns the census part, which you have probably figured out. It is not because we do not think there are problems with the population registration and the crimes and the shadow society in its wake, but we are considering how a census should be conducted. Of course, we want to curb these crimes, but how should it be implemented in practice?

A census of everyone who is in Sweden will unfortunately probably be a waste of taxpayers' money and will not provide any actual answers. Criminals will hardly, Madam Speaker, fill out forms, open the door when the authority knocks, or even be present. Tens of thousands of students do not live at their original address. Many undocumented people do not even have any housing.

All those who lack a residence permit, have been issued a deportation decision, have been smuggled into the country by unscrupulous human traffickers for prostitution or are used as black labor in restaurant kitchens, in cleaning companies or on construction sites will not answer any census. And those who have several personal identity numbers and are engaged in benefit fraud will answer several times, once per personal identity number.

No one really knows how this census is to be carried out. Even the Swedish Tax Agency itself says that they find it difficult to see how this is to be done in practice. Instead, they are requesting greater legal scope, for example, the right to strike on or search for criminals in existing registers.

In conclusion: A census would cost a lot of money but would perhaps not tell us much more about the living conditions of people who do not have a personal identity number. Centerpartiet believes that problems with benefit fraud and people staying illegally in Sweden etcetera can be better solved through increased appropriations to the justice system and the relevant authorities.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Martin Melin (L)

Madam Speaker! The matter for today is expenditure area 3 Tax, Customs and Execution, that is to say the budget appropriations to Skatteverket, Tullverket and Kronofogdemyndigheten and how the money shall be distributed between these agencies.

We have heard many wise things tonight, and I do not intend to repeat what has been said previously but instead spend a few minutes speaking about the customs, an activity that, when it comes to crime fighting, is given far too little space in the public sphere.

Crime fighting can be carried out in many different ways, and it is important that the entire chain of justice functions and holds together. Customs is a part of this chain. If our borders are not monitored and controlled, weapons and drugs can freely enter the country. Customs' major contribution to combating organized crime is, among other things, the seizure of narcotics. This year alone, over 100 kilos of narcotic preparations have been seized in 26 different raids.

The Customs Service also contributes effectively, not infrequently together with the Swedish Tax Agency, to making it more difficult for organized crime to commit crimes through companies, for example VAT fraud. A large part of the criminal networks' economy comes through crime committed via companies.

During the autumn, I have visited customs officers in Gothenburg and Stockholm, and all I can say is that Sweden's customs officers can stretch themselves and be proud of being customs officers. Rarely have I encountered so many dedicated and hungry officials as within the customs service. This applies to all positions, from those who scout and those who investigate the serious crimes to the border protection and those who control the legal import. It has been a joy to see and experience this.

But just as if we had discussed healthcare, the police, the school, or social services, resources are lacking. When it comes to the customs, unfortunately, no major investments have been made in the last 20 years. No representative for any party can therefore beat their chest or shift the blame. We all bear that debt. Today we stand here with a recession, high inflation, high interest rates, a weak krona, and a population that is having a tough time, so even if I would like to, we cannot give the customs more money. I am nevertheless glad that the appropriations for the customs are increasing and not decreasing in these tough times.

By listening to the members of the Committee on Taxation, I have understood that there is a consensus that the customs service has an important role in crime fighting and that more needs to be invested in it. That is a good first step, but let us not stop there.

Letting the Enforcement Authority (Kronofogden) be an increasingly active party in combating criminal networks, we know, yields results. If one wants to draw parallels, one can mention that Al Capone eventually ended up behind bars for tax crimes. Most who work with crime prevention know that if you take money and status items such as cars, jewelry, and watches from the criminals, it hurts them deeply. That is when you hit the mark. If one can additionally seize cash, it makes it harder for the gangs to invest in narcotics or buy into companies. Here, the Enforcement Authority has a large and important function, and I believe that the Enforcement Authority's part in the crime-fighting work will gain an ever-increasing importance in the future. I hope that in the future, when the economy improves, we can give them more resources. I believe that it will pay off.

In the Committee on Taxation, there also seems to be a somewhat large consensus on the issue of the customs service's armament. This issue usually becomes topical at some point during the year only to then run out into the sand; nothing happens. But now the government has made a move in the matter and tasked the Customs Authority with presenting its view on the matter by January 15, and the authority is now investigating its equipment. It is ultimately the Customs Authority that decides the question of whether there should be an armament or not, but surveys among customs personnel show that the majority want to see an armament.

Madam Speaker! I see it as a self-evident matter that customs officers should be armed so that they can do a good job and that the working environment can be secured. Today, it is only those customs officers who work directly or indirectly against serious organized crime who are allowed to carry weapons. This applies to both civilian and uniformed personnel. I believe that customs officers who work in uniform with border protection should also be armed. I do not say they should be armed, I say they shall be armed. For customs officers who work with legal importation, the carrying of weapons should be determined by location, function, and work task. If the need is not there, it should not be mandatory either. It is a similar arrangement as the police have.

It is important to keep in mind that the armament is there so that one can defend oneself. Under today's legislation, customs personnel may only use the service weapon in self-defense, in contrast to the police who may also shoot in the exercise of legal authority. Today, unarmed customs officers work to stop and check vehicles in which heavily criminal individuals with weapons may travel. Given the increased penalties for serious illegal weapons possession, where the minimum sentence will increase from two to four years, it is not unthinkable that an individual would not hesitate to use a weapon against a customs officer.

I am aware that a full armament of the customs personnel requires money. It requires weapons, weapon cabinets, bulletproof vests, the possibility of practice shooting, and training days. But a safe working environment must cost money. Do we really want to wait until the worst happens? I do not want that, but I want to see that the customs receives adequate equipment so that it can carry out its mission in the best and safest way.

Madam Speaker! In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that I am pleased that the government recognizes the utility of these three agencies, not least in the crime-fighting work, and that they are not cutting the appropriations but increasing them.

(Applause)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Jan Riise (MP)

Madam Speaker! Miljöpartiet has no position regarding the budget decision that has been made, and I refer to our special statement.

It is important that the public has high confidence in our authorities and in how we finance our common commitments. That the state can manage them and that taxation occurs in an efficient and legally secure manner is a prerequisite. Tax evasion and tax avoidance damage confidence in our system and erode our common welfare. Therefore, Miljöpartiet does not make any general savings in the area.

Trust is a beautiful word and central for a democracy to function well. The entire state budget is built on people paying taxes in different ways. That taxes are collected in an efficient and legally secure manner enables us in this chamber to make decisions about the country's direction, make life better for our fellow human beings, and care for the nature we depend on. We must, however, ensure that we focus on the right things.

We will always combat benefit fraud to ensure that no benefit is granted unjustly. There are different opinions regarding the magnitude of it, but it amounts to 15-18 billion per year. It is a substantial sum, but it is small in relation to the estimates that exist regarding tax evasion. It amounts to around 130 billion, if one is to believe the Swedish Tax Agency's assessment.

We consider that the Swedish Tax Agency has an important task in ensuring that people are correctly registered in the population register on an ongoing basis, but we believe that this should occur within ordinary operations and not through a costly census.

The Customs Service and the Swedish Tax Agency play an important role in the fight against organized crime. Law enforcement bureaucrats are absolutely crucial for putting the criminal gangs behind bars. If we can get at the economic flows and the money that lures people into crime and enables criminal activity, it will make a big difference. When the Swedish Tax Agency last carried out a special operation, they got almost 30 times the money back in the work of stopping tax evasion. It is of the utmost importance that the cooperation between our different agencies continues to develop.

Madam Speaker! The Swedish Customs Administration receives more money in the Green Party's budget. Stopping crime and smuggling at Sweden's borders is socio-economically effective.

The Swedish Customs Service has an important role regarding the smuggling of drugs, weapons, and dangerous goods, but also an important role when it comes to upholding CITES, which everyone obviously knows what it is: the convention on international trade in endangered species of flora and fauna. It is said to be the fourth largest illegal international trade globally. However, only the imports from non-European countries are scrutinized. Not infrequently, these economic flows go to the large criminal networks. It is a lot of money, and it is important that we work on this.

The third authority under the tax committee is the Swedish Enforcement Authority, which also receives increased appropriations in the Green Party's budget. The authority participates in the coordination function against money laundering together with, among others, the police. The Enforcement Authority plays an important role in making it harder for unscrupulous people to earn money from criminal activities.

When these authorities function well, it becomes easier for us politicians to implement the changes we want to see and to strengthen trust.

Miljöpartiet is therefore proposing a reduction of the appropriation to Skatteverket and increases of the appropriations to Tullverket and Kronofogdemyndigheten.

I wish everyone here in the chamber a very pleasant rest of the evening.

(Applause)

The deliberation was hereby concluded.

(A decision was to be taken on 7 December.)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)