Response to interpellation 2023/24:187 on support for commercial services
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
KD argues that the development of the countryside is crucial for Sweden's success 1 and that the government is the most countryside-friendly in a generation 2. KD emphasizes that commercial service is fundamental for the attractiveness of the countryside 3 and that the government has allocated funds for this 3. KD has lowered the tax on fuels, minimized the reduction obligation, and extended the reduction of the tax on agricultural diesel 2. KD has initiated a comprehensive review of rural policy 2. S argues that the special operating support must be increased as profitability has decreased 4 5. S proposes 20 million kronor more than the government to support commercial service 4 5. S argues that the state must step in and provide support when the market is not present 6. S considers that the support for the country stores needs to be increased because 300,000 is not enough with current cost increases 7.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)
Madam Speaker! Monica Haider has asked me if I am prepared to review the level of operational support for grocery stores.
The development of the countryside is crucial for the success of the whole of Sweden. Here, the government has a unified focus: The whole of Sweden shall function. The conditions for living, working and life in the whole country need to be improved.
The conditions and challenges of rural areas differ in different parts of the country. This sometimes requires different measures and solutions in different types of rural areas. To achieve the goal of rural policy, a breadth of measures across many policy areas is therefore needed.
An effort that is important in all rural areas is to support the rural grocers and the fuel stations that exist all around Sweden. Therefore, there are a number of supports for commercial services in sparsely populated and rural areas.
The special operating support, which Monica Haider highlights in this interpellation, is one of these supports. The Government assesses that this is a support that concretely contributes to the possibility of living, working and residing in all parts of the country.
The government has a clear focus on the countryside and is working purposefully to improve the conditions for those who live, work, and operate in rural areas. The development of the countryside is crucial for the success of all of Sweden. Therefore, the government has initiated work to conduct a comprehensive review of rural policy.
Monica Haider (S)
Madam Speaker! Thank you for the answer, Minister!
My question to the Minister was whether he is prepared to review the level of the special operating support for grocery stores. The answer I received is that the government has initiated work to conduct a comprehensive review of rural policy.
During that time, it is certain that a number of shops will have to close down. We all know that it will take time to conduct a comprehensive review of the policy. It is a very large area, and as the Minister says in his response, it does not only affect this but also other policy areas.
In recent times, we have seen increased costs for the whole society. These are costs for food, fuel and energy, interest costs, and so on. This means that the costs for grocery stores in rural areas have also increased and that their profitability has decreased.
Commercial service is important throughout the country. A service point is not just a place where one can shop for food and other things, but also an important meeting place for those of us who live in rural areas. In some places, for example in Lidhult, there are libraries. In Häradsbäck there is a café and restaurant. In Liatorp there is a pharmacy, a game store, and parcel and Systembolaget delivery. They are, therefore, meeting places for the entire district. Sometimes they also have fuel and in some places even a charging station.
For some of these stores, the support is a prerequisite for survival. It has also been shown in evaluations that the distance to the nearest store has decreased in recent years since we introduced the support, which indicates that the support has actually been significant.
Now the government is going to measure in a new way. Instead of distances between grocery stores, one shall measure the number of stores that receive support. We will have to see how that turns out and what comes out of it. The Minister may be welcome to elaborate on that.
Tillväxtverket assesses in its report 0363 that commercial service provides a more robust society and that the special operating support for shops in vulnerable and exposed areas, which was introduced during 2016 by the Social Democratic government, has been of particularly great importance in curbing continued shop closures with poorer accessibility as a result.
That is why it is now important to review the level of the operating support so that the shops can remain in the countryside. We Social Democrats include 20 million more in our budget motion than the government to support commercial services.
Madam Speaker! In the report, one can also read that municipalities state that the accessibility today is described as stable but not robust. The service in the countryside is at a minimum level that cannot be reduced without it having consequences for the possibility of living and working in the countryside in Sweden, especially in the event of a crisis. The commercial service is extremely important for a robust and resilient society, and the municipalities say that during the pandemic they became aware of this importance to a greater extent. Crisis preparedness is strengthened if the population can manage on by themselves to the greatest extent possible, and the commercial service is a societal function that facilitates for people to live and work where it exists.
If shops close, the population in these areas will have to travel a long way to the nearest service point. This can affect certain groups, especially the elderly, particularly hard.
My question to the Minister is: How long will it take to conduct a comprehensive review of rural policy?
Isak From (S)
Madam Speaker! Thank you, Monica Haider, for an important interpellation! Thank you, the Minister for Rural Affairs, for the answer!
I see that the Minister for Rural Affairs has developed his answer since our two previous rounds of interpellations on approximately the same subject. Now the government says that it has initiated work to conduct a comprehensive review of rural policy. That is welcome, but then Monica Haider's question is extremely justified. How long will this take, and what will it entail? I believe that quite a few are very interested in that.
As Monica Haider describes, society, the state, needs to step in and provide support when the market is not present. I have a concrete example from home. I visited a service residence where elderly, relatively healthy people live. They testified to the frustration of having to travel 18 miles round trip twice to obtain an ID card or pick up their passport. In area after area across the country, we have worsened ordinary people's opportunities to live and reside.
In the government's budget, we also see now that the appropriations are not being increased for either petrol stations or rural grocers, which means that more people risk receiving poorer service. We have previously also spoken here about the government's priority to lower the petrol and diesel tax, something that benefits city dwellers much more. One could have chosen the line of supporting those who live in rural areas, in the small municipalities.
As late as now this week, an emergency call came from Studiefrämjandet - which we have also talked about - which views the government's budget regarding the study associations as extremely serious. The activities of the study associations are absolutely crucial in small municipalities, in order to maintain both educational and cultural activities. This is another area where the Sweden Democrats' policy has unfortunately gained too much influence.
I hope that these parts will also be included in a consolidated review of rural policy.
This is being scrutinized; more people are looking at this. What is the government actually going to do? So far, it is not that impressive.
Lastly today, during the question period, we heard that the government is conducting a review of state agencies to see which ones can be merged and perhaps removed. Will this result in poorer service for the citizens out in the country, in the smaller municipalities? I believe that very many also want to know this. Regardless of where we live, we should have the right to the same state service.
Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)
Madam Speaker! Good access to commercial services, in the form of for example grocery stores and preferably staffed gas stations, is fundamental for it to be attractive to live and have one's company or business in places other than the larger localities or in the larger cities. So it will probably always be. Commercial services and the rest of the business sector are closely dependent on each other to be able to function. Without service we have no companies, but without companies we also have no service.
These activities are of particularly great importance because they, just as the interpellor mentioned, function as hubs. They are not only service points for other services – it could be about mail, gambling, or functioning as agents for various activities – but also meeting places for people in the countryside. This is, therefore, immensely important.
The Riksdag has, on a proposal from the government, appropriated over 162 million to maintain commercial services in rural areas. This concerns the special operating support but also other grants that the regions can award, for example, investment grants. Last year, almost 270 rural grocers were granted operating support. This is a support that very concretely contributes to the possibility of living, working and life in sparsely populated areas and in rural areas.
To further strengthen the rural retailers in the current global situation, the government has also decided on a special service grant of 25 million kronor during the current year to grocery stores in service-sparse areas.
Monica Haider (S)
Madam Speaker! The state operational support for grocery stores was introduced by the Social Democratic government in 2016, and it has been very important for the countryside. This is also shown by the evaluations, as I said in my previous contribution.
This also applies when there is a crisis. We saw during the pandemic how the elderly were allowed to come to the store at specific times, and goods were also delivered to many, especially the elderly. One could call and order and did not need to order online, which many elderly people find difficult; it can be called e-commerce over the phone. The shop owners thus did what they could to reduce the spread of infection, which was important and good.
When it comes to regional development, in the Social Democratic budget motion for next year, we allocate 20 million more than the government to public and commercial services. We see that the special operating support for grocery stores has been eroded since 2016, so it is very important to raise the support level. These are the signals I receive from store owners who receive the support. I also receive signals that profitability is decreasing. One can also consider the turnover limit, which is 11 million. Is this also something that needs to be looked at?
Madam Speaker! There are a number of tools to support the small shops in rural and countryside areas, in addition to the special operating support. These include mail-order grants, investment support, loan conditions, payment service agencies, and so on. I wonder if the government, in the review of the rural policy, will review all rural policy. Or is it expenditure area 19 that is to be reviewed? And I repeat my question: When will the review be completed?
I may think that it is perhaps also time to see all of this in a broader perspective. It may be time to look at service altogether and in several policy areas, which also includes the public sector. What should the service look like in the whole country?
We need services across the entire country - school, healthcare and elderly care. Welfare is also a prerequisite for us to be able to live and work everywhere. If it is not there, it will become difficult. Therefore, the Social Democrats also add more money to the regions and municipalities in our budget.
The Social Democrats have also, in their budget motion, presented a proposal for a fuel discount, which is to be calculated per car with an individual income ceiling of 50,000 and a ceiling of 2,000 kronor per car. We intend for this to be weighted geographically based on Tillväxtverket's division into six municipal groups. This would mean that municipalities that mainly consist of countryside, with poorer access to public transport, receive a higher discount, while residents in larger communities and cities receive a gradually reduced fuel discount. It is a targeted measure that hits those who need it most.
Madam Speaker! I began my speech by stating that the shop is often a hub, a meeting place, and a place for the dissemination of information in the area and for maintaining social cohesion in the countryside. Therefore, it is important that the support remains and is furthermore increased. My question is thus again: Can the Minister imagine increasing the support?
Isak From (S)
Madam Speaker! This House has been very engaged in the conditions of the countryside, especially during the two previous terms. The former Minister for Rural Affairs, Sven-Erik Bucht, also appointed the rural affairs committee, which submitted 73 proposals. Some of them have been implemented, but they may need to be upgraded.
I am thinking particularly about how one prioritized and invested money in the business development of the smallest municipalities. It was extremely positive. That money still makes a great impact, and it is welcome that it remains. The support for individual roads is also very important to develop.
But it concerns more and more parts, so my question to the Minister for Rural Affairs is: How does the Minister for Rural Affairs intend to cooperate with the Riksdag and us other parties? Quite a few are interested, and I believe we would achieve greater success if we could find a greater consensus. Does the Minister for Rural Affairs intend to appoint a new rural affairs committee, or how has he planned to work with this issue?
Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)
Madam Speaker! When it is said that we are to take a unified grip on rural policy, it does not mean that nothing concerning the countryside will happen before that work is complete. That is not the ambition.
The work that we have now initiated is about working out a unified rural policy proposition. It takes time. And rural policy is a broad area - it is not only the Minister for Rural Affairs' area but also the Minister for Health and Social Affairs's, the Minister for Social Affairs's, the Minister for Social Services's and the Minister for Education's. In principle, all ministers' portfolios have to do with the countryside. This work we have now initiated.
The objective is that it should be completed by 2026 at the latest. But that does not mean that one cannot do anything before then. We added 25 million to the wholesalers during the current year because we saw that they had a strained situation.
I want to assert that this is the most rural-friendly government this country has had in a whole generation. The Social Democrats in opposition would like to appear very rural-friendly, but the truth is that they are and remain bound by those they choose to cooperate with. In the most recent cases, it has been about the Green Party.
Fine words are one thing, but it is by the fruit that one knows the tree. During the previous parliamentary term, when the Social Democrats were in power, the diesel price rose by 60 percent. Now we are lowering the tax on all fuels and minimizing the reduction obligation which has hit the countryside disproportionately. The countryside's penalty tax shall be removed.
You were and are divided on a very important rural issue, namely the view on forestry, and even on such decisive issues as the renewable energy directive and the nature restoration law. With the current government, Sweden stands up for Swedish forestry in the EU.
Another important rural issue is the wolf. During your time, the number of wolves in Sweden increased by 50 percent. Now we have set as a goal that we shall try to implement what the Riksdag has announced - I believe it is ten or twelve times. Now we are also beginning to bring more friends within the EU on board to achieve this change, which probably also needs to happen at that level.
We are extending the reduction of the tax on agricultural diesel. We prioritize Swedish security of supply, and we have begun to cut the red tape in agriculture.
This government is working to make Sweden strong and is delivering so that all of Sweden actually functions.
Monica Haider (S)
Madam Speaker! Here we received some additional information from the Minister that we had not received earlier. We thank him for that.
The Minister says that one is constrained by those one cooperates with. This applies to this government as well as all governments, because it does not look as if any party will, over time, obtain its own majority in the Riksdag.
It is also pleasing that the Minister says there will be a rural area bill. In that case, I would like to proceed a bit with what Isak From spoke about. Is the Minister prepared to take in views and to ensure that we can reach an agreement here, i.e., that we cooperate more within this area?
Now the minister said in his answer that this will apply to several policy areas. That was one of the questions I had. This is welcome.
As I said in my speech, welfare is an important part for rural policy to function and for people to be able to live and work everywhere. The Minister also writes that the support concretely contributes to the possibility of living and working in all parts of the country. On that, we are in complete agreement. But the support needs to be increased. It is a crisis among the rural grocers now. They need higher support. 300,000 is not enough with the cost increases that have been had. I would like to appeal to the Minister to increase the support.
Landsbygdsministern Peter Kullgren (KD)
Madam Speaker! The Government has a clear agricultural focus, and we are working purposefully to improve the conditions for everyone who has their business, their home, and their life in the Swedish countryside. It is also important to note that the development of the countryside is not only crucial for the countryside but for the success of all of Sweden. Therefore, we at the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure have initiated work to conduct a comprehensive review of the entire rural policy across several policy areas. The objective there is to present proposals that strengthen the conditions for the countryside.
The review is part of the government's work to ensure that all of Sweden functions. We want to involve many actors in that work. We will therefore coordinate with a number of different actors and certainly also with the relevant committees, which can be many in the Riksdag. It can involve issues concerning the rural industries, regional development, infrastructure, housing or urban planning. These are issues that the Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure is responsible for. But it can also involve issues concerning the state's presence, access to healthcare, school and care, the municipalities' capacity to fulfill their mandate, the conditions for the business sector, access to culture and education and civil society's conditions, among others.
The capacity and ability to manage the challenges, crises, and societal changes affecting rural areas is an issue that also needs to be developed. The objective is, as stated, to present a proposition in 2026. The intention of the work is also to raise awareness about the conditions in the Swedish rural areas. We are working hard to succeed with that ambition.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.