Response to interpellation 2023/24:354 on the Swedish Customs Service's powers

Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Patrik Björck has asked me why it has taken so long to produce a proposal to strengthen the Swedish Customs Service in its very important work.

Sweden is in a state of emergency. Crime has systematically infiltrated large parts of our society and leads to ruthless violence. The criminal economy that feeds organized crime must be strangled. The Swedish Customs Service is on the front line in that work. The authority's seizure of, among other things, drugs and weapons is a major contribution in the fight against serious crime.

The Government has therefore actively worked in several ways to strengthen the Swedish Customs Service and improve the customs officers' powers. The proposals submitted in the report *Tullverkets rättsliga befogenheter i en ny tid* are very important for granting the customs officers extended powers. The proposals also provide the Swedish Customs Service with better conditions to carry out its mission in an efficient manner. During the autumn, the Government has worked intensively on revising the proposals and will in the near future decide on a referral to the Council on Legislation.

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

Patrik Björck (S)

Mr. Speaker! I thank the Minister for Finance for the answer.

The question was simple and straightforward regarding the intentions for Tullverket to function better. The Finance Minister and I are in agreement. But I don't quite think I received an answer to the question: Why has it taken the minister so long to produce a proposal to strengthen Tullverket in its very important work?

The background to the investigation's report, Customs' legal powers in a new era, which caused the previous government to see the problems, is the discussion that occurs when legislation and the activities of authorities change, namely the long experience that leads to the conclusion that the problems need to be addressed and improved. Such an investigation was commissioned in 2021.

This investigation worked on it and received some additional directives. Eventually, a substantial partial report was submitted. When we think of a partial report, Mr. Speaker, perhaps we think of it as a somewhat smaller product. This was a fairly substantial telephone directory with well-elaborated proposals to handle the fundamental problems, because one sees that Tullverket needs to be streamlined in a new era.

When I hear the interpellation answer, Mr. Speaker, I can state that the Finance Minister and I are quite in agreement about the serious situation. It is an emergency, says the Finance Minister. Crime has systematically infiltrated us, and it leads to ruthless violence.

Then my question is why an investigation that was commissioned in 2021, submitted to the government in September 2022, was referred for consultation in the autumn of 2022 and contained a proposal for entry into force on 1 July 2023, is now being announced as a government bill in March 2024.

I can guess the entry into force. I can ask the Minister for Finance when she plans for the entry into force to occur. But it does not feel like the government has worked particularly actively with this, that they have prioritized this work, or that they have thought it was as important as they think in the answer.

The Minister for Finance and I agree that this is very urgent. The question then is why it has taken so long. I have counted up all the years that we have handled this. A bill could have been submitted so that an entry into force on July 1, 2023, could have been achieved, just as is proposed in the investigation. That question, I think, remains, Mr. Speaker. Why has it taken so long?

Then I would like to add a new question, Mr. Speaker. This stems from the answer we have received from the Minister for Finance, where the Minister for Finance says that the government has worked in several ways to strengthen the Swedish Customs Service and improve the powers of customs officers. In that case, I would like to ask in what ways. We have not yet seen any bill. We have not seen any entry into force. In what ways, besides the potentially upcoming bill, has the government worked to strengthen the Swedish Customs Service and strengthen the powers of customs officers?

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

Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! Thank you, Patrik Björck, for a very relevant interpellation and relevant questions! It has been a long time since we debated here in the chamber; it is nice that we are back in debate together.

It is good that Patrik Björck is impatient. I am too. The short answer to the question of why it has still taken time is that it, as the member mentioned, was a large sub-consideration. These are important issues, and it must be done correctly.

But it was also the case that during the autumn of -22 and the spring of -23, the entire Ministry of Finance, both political and non-political officials, were working very hard on the EU presidency. That was also an important factor that I want to mention. The officials at the Ministry of Finance are fantastic, but they cannot do everything at the same time.

With that said: This issue was worked on, but it could have been at an even higher tempo if we had not simultaneously held the chairmanship with all the questions that entailed for the Ministry of Finance - customs issues, tax issues, and much more.

Regarding the second question about other tools, the government, for example, gave a mandate to the Swedish Customs Service to review how weapons can be used on more occasions than today. The Swedish Customs Service has worked on this and reached a conclusion. That is one such part.

It is also important that the legislation that is coming now – the referral to the Council on Legislation will come in the near future, and then the bill will come – will facilitate things for the customs, who are on the front line and do a very important job. But it is not the only thing the government is doing.

Both in opposition and now that I sit in the government, I have pushed for more resources for Tullverket. It was budgets that won when we were in opposition where Tullverket received more money.

As I said, it is also about the powers that we have put forward and are putting forward.

As the member was inside, we have given additional directives to be able to review how the export of stolen goods can be criminalized.

We are working on a broad front to provide the customs service with both tools and resources and to raise the level of ambition together with all the fantastic officials who work at the customs service, those at the very ends of the capillaries and near the borders, but also those who sit and administer. It is an incredibly important joint effort, where we have a high ambition and they have a high ambition.

Tools, resources and increased ambition have therefore been my priority for a year and three or four months since I have been minister.

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Patrik Björck (S)

Mr. Speaker! The reason why it has taken so long for the Minister to produce a proposal is, therefore, the work with the chairship.

I can think that it is nevertheless part of a government's ordinary work to plan for and allocate resources to ensure that it can manage its work with the EU presidency. It is not something that, so to speak, falls from the sky. It is something that everyone has known about for many years, which the previous government has worked on and which the new government takes over.

It is a bit far-fetched, I might think, that something which is part of the government's completely ordinary work should be used as an excuse for why one is not working on the very pressing issues involved when it comes to strengthening Tullverket. As the Finance Minister himself says, it is a state of emergency with systematic infiltration from criminals and ruthless violence. In that case, the ordinary work is not a good answer for why one falters with necessary measures.

In response to my second question and as a further explanation, the Minister for Finance points out what has been done. A newer investigation has been commissioned, and supplementary directives have been given.

Then I had a question about the entry into force for the partial consideration. I received no answer to that, but perhaps I can get it in the next contribution.

It still feels a bit vague, I think, and as if this work is not being fully prioritized.

Then the Minister for Finance pointed out that resources are being invested in the customs. It would be interesting to hear the Minister for Finance clarify how she views the Customs Service's need for resources. Now, it is hoped that new powers will be granted through this bill. The Minister for Finance mentions that the Customs Service has commissioned an internal investigation at the government's request regarding whether it might be possible to use weaponry to a greater extent than today.

All such improvements and opportunities for the customs to expand its working methods and work forms require either that Tullverket, with the Finance Minister's budget, chooses to omit or deprioritize such things that are unnecessary - then it would be interesting to know what the Finance Minister thinks Tullverket does that is unnecessary - or that the Finance Minister adds resources, and the Finance Minister has not done that.

In our budget proposal, we added an extra 100 million to Tullverket. That proposal unfortunately fell in the vote here in the chamber, so Tullverket did not get access to the extra resources that would be needed to do the expanded work that the Minister for Finance addresses in his response.

Can the Minister for Finance give an answer regarding the resources? Will more resources be coming? We were indeed told no here in the chamber to the resources we proposed.

And when will the new proposal come into force? Will the Finance Minister ease the sentence? I can of course wait until the bill arrives, but it would be interesting to hear, given that it has been dragged out for so many years.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! I understand that Patrik Björck wants me to only say a date between us here, but we shall wait.

Let me start with the problems. What are the problems that Sweden has right now? They are large. They are at a level that we could not have imagined 10, 15, 20 years ago. We see that serious crime infiltrates businesses. People, companies, and the welfare system are being defrauded. All of this feeds and is the basis for the killings that we see on our streets. That children are now killing children is not something that has just happened by itself. It has happened because money from the ground up feeds this economy.

Then everyone must work together to dampen and stifle the criminal economy. In that regard, Tullverket is one of several agencies that are incredibly important. They have, for example, carried out fantastic seizures of narcotics. The seizures of narcotics and doping agents corresponded, for example, in 2023 to a social benefit of over 10 billion, more than double compared to 2022. They do a fantastic job, and they do so also together with other agencies. This is what is required for us to reach and stifle the criminal economy.

What does the government do in the meantime? Well, the Customs Service's appropriation increases by 135 million this year compared to last year. It is an important addition so that they can raise the level of ambition. We will, of course, also ensure that there are resources for the missions and the prioritized tasks that the Customs Service has.

It is also, as I said, about tools. More customs officers have the opportunity to carry weapons today. This applies now and is not something that will come later; it is introduced through the mandate we gave the Swedish Customs. It is therefore about resources, tools, and level of ambition.

Then I am very honest. One can absolutely think that it is a bad answer, but it is still like this. Now the referral to the Council on Legislation comes, and it is incredibly significant and will make a big difference. But it is also the case that the presidency has taken energy from very many of the officials who have worked on this. They have worked in parallel, and they have worked hard. Sweden had a fantastic presidency, which also facilitates for the customs in Sweden. One can absolutely think that that energy, that commitment and the working time that everyone put in during the presidency is ordinary work, but it clearly also benefits the customs.

I am straightforward and honest and say that this is precisely one of the reasons. No civil servants should, however, be blamed for this, on the contrary. We have, of course, worked hard together to achieve a really good chairmanship, which we also did.

(Applause)

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Patrik Björck (S)

Mr. Speaker! No, I would not dream of blaming any civil servants for the government not allocating resources for its ordinary work. It is obviously the government and the Minister for Finance who are responsible for this.

We agree on the problem statement: Sweden is in a very serious situation regarding crime, and the Swedish Customs Service is on the front line. What makes me a little worried, Mr. Speaker, is that the government does not seem to prioritize the work to solve the problems that we agree exist. This concerns me, Mr. Speaker.

The government says: We have told the Swedish Customs Service that they must run faster, work more and use new methods and new tools. When one speaks with the Swedish Customs Service and its management and officials, they state: Yes, we would very much like to do that, but if we are to be able to use the new methods and tools, this requires more resources than we have today.

You cannot make magic happen with your knees. If more people are to be armed, Mr. Speaker, more weapons, shooting ranges, training time, and instructors are needed. This is not something that, so to speak, can just be thought up, but it requires active action from the government's side. Using the words resources and tools as a mantra does not help if one does not also provide resources.

This is unfortunately what becomes the conclusion of this interpellation debate, Mr. Speaker. I and the Minister for Finance are in complete agreement on the description of the problem and the difficult situation regarding crime. We are in complete agreement that the Swedish Customs Service is an important part of the solution. But the Minister for Finance is not prepared to do what is required and prioritize this work.

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Finansministern Elisabeth Svantesson (M)

Mr. Speaker! In opposition, I and we got through budgets. Then we ensured that Tullverket was strengthened because the Social Democrats did not do so.

Now that I have responsibility for both the Swedish Customs and the budget, I ensure that the agencies working at the forefront when it comes to choking the criminal economy have the resources they need. We will continue to do this, and we will also provide tools. We are currently giving the customs officers at the front end the tools they have asked for and want. It is important to stand by them. It is about those who work at the forefront in the front line and are exposed to great risks. They face much of the violent crime in a way that we others do not.

The members of the House can be completely reassured that I will continue to take responsibility, both for choking the criminal economy as a whole and for strengthening the customs' powers and resources when needed.

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

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