Gas cash gives prosperity
The northern Norwegian town of Hammerfest will earn almost 19 million EUR on taxes annually from StatoilHydros LNG-plant at Melkøya.
The sum is far more than the municipality originally calculated in its budgets.
StatoilHydro and the small municipality with 9500 inhabitants have agreed over annual local taxes for the LNG-plant, which is situated on a small island just outside the city centre. With the new agreement, StatoilHydro has to pay almost 19 million EUR per year in taxes. The local town mayor can add 4 million EUR on his original budget with the latest adjustments, which of course gives the municipality a lot more economic freedom.
The only problem for local politicians now is to agree how to spend the money …
