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No compensation for indigenous people

Helga Pedersen (government.no)

The indigenous Sámi people in Finnmark, Norway, wants an indigenous people compensation for mining activities in the region. However, the Norwegian government will not agree to the claim.

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The Sámi Parliament in Norway will not accept that indigenous people in Finnmark County is not awarded an economic compensation for mining activities in the county.

The Norwegian Government is planning to introduce a higher taxation of mineral exploitation in Finnmark than in other Norwegian counties. The Sámi Parliament has called this tax for indigenous people compensation and after talks with members of the Government, the Vice President of the Sámi Parliament Marianne Balto thought that it was almost clear that the indigenous people compensation would be carried out.

Now Minister of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs, Helga Pedersen, says to NRK that there will not be established an indigenous people compensation which the Sámi Parliament shall control.

Instead the Government established landowner in Finnmark, Finnmarkseiendommen, will have this responsibility to control the extra tax income. Minister Pedersen says that it will be most natural to give Finnmarkseiendommen the responsibility, so that all local communities in Finnmark can benefit from it and not only indigenous people.