NordenBladet — Operators based in the Nordic countries can be taken advantage of in money laundering related to corruption, even though open corruption, such as bribery, is relatively rare in the Nordic countries. This is the conclusion of a recent study conducted by the Police University College on the connection between corruption and money laundering in the Nordic countries.Operators based in the Nordic countries can be taken advantage of in money laundering related to corruption, even though open corruption, such as bribery, is relatively rare in the Nordic countries. This is the conclusion of a recent study conducted by the Police University College on the connection between corruption and money laundering in the Nordic countries.The project, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers and commissioned by the Ministry of Justice, focused on examining bribery in international business. According to the study, bribes given in international business, for example, can be concealed through using consultants or complex business structures. In the Nordic countries, cases have emerged where operators in the ICT sector, logistics, defence industry and financial sector have been taken advantage of as intermediaries in laundering corrupt funds. The international dimension makes investigating these cases challenging, and relatively few convictions have been passed for bribery in international business or money laundering of corrupt funds.Anti-corruption efforts require cooperationThe preliminary study consisted of a literature review, a statistical review and a survey addressed to the financial intelligence units in the Nordic countries. The survey examined the respondents’ views on the links between the different phenomena and collected experiences of suspected money laundering cases where the funds may originate from corrupt activities. The study showed that the obliged entities referred to in the Money Laundering Act play a key role in identifying corruption, but it is still difficult to identify and investigate corruption.The complex and ambiguous nature of corruption makes it difficult to combat. In evaluations concerning the effectiveness of anti-corruption efforts, attention has been paid to the supervision of subcontracting arrangements and the protection of whistleblowers in the Nordic countries. Multi-sectoral cooperation and training are an important part of the anti-corruption efforts. The project will continue this year with a study examining good practices in the identification and analysis of corruption by the authorities and obliged entities under the Money Laundering Act.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — On 4 June 2021, the Ministerial Working Group on Health and Social Services discussed the COVID-19 situation in Finland and the restrictions in place. They recommend that certain restrictions should be eased. The Government is due to decide on the matter urgently in the week starting 7 June.The previous week saw clear improvement in the epidemic situation in Finland. The ministerial group decided to propose that restrictions be eased as follows:In areas where the epidemic is at a stable level, serving alcoholic beverages should be allowed between 7.00 and 1.00, and food and beverage service establishments could be allowed to receive customers from 5.00 to 2.00.The specific ban on karaoke and dancing should be lifted at this level. The requirement for customers to be seated at a table could be removed when they are served outdoors. This would make the provision of catering services possible at public events in particular.
 In areas in the acceleration phase, the specific ban on karaoke and dancing could be lifted.
 In areas in the community transmission phase, the opening hours and licensing hours of restaurants whose main business is other that serving alcohol should be extended.Serving alcohol could be allowed between 7.00 and 20.00.Opening hours could range from 5.00 to 21.00.Possible amendments to restrictions will continue to be considered weekly at the government session, as required by the evolution of the epidemiological situation in different areas. Epidemiological situation allowing, the next extensive overall review of the restrictions is due to take place in the week starting 21 June 2021. In the same week, it will also be estimated if the requirement for customers to be seated at a table could be removed when served outdoors, subject to the prevailing epidemiological situation. Decisions will be made by the Government urgently in the week starting 7 June on the basis of the proposals outlined in the ministerial working group.

Source: Valtioneuvosto.fi

NordenBladet — On 4 June 2021, the Prime Minister’s Office received a response to the request for an opinion sent to the Finnish Tax Administration on the taxability of catering services provided at the Prime Minister’s official residence.

On 31 May, the Prime Minister’s Office asked the Tax Administration to comment on the interpretation of the Prime Minister’s Office, according to which the catering services provided at the Prime Minister’s official residence are not taxable under section 70, paragraph 3 of the Income Tax Act.

According to the opinion of the Tax Administration, the Prime Minister’s meal benefit is taxable.

Prime Minister’s Office to draw up new guidelines on catering services at the Prime Minister’s official residence
Based on the opinion of the Tax Administration, the Prime Minister’s Office will draw up new guidelines on the services provided at the residence and make changes to its practices. The Prime Minister’s Office last specified the services to be provided at the Prime Minister’s official residence in practical guidelines issued in June 2019. The guidelines clarified, among other things, the services related to residing in Kesäranta, including catering services. The guidelines were issued by Permanent State Under-Secretary Timo Lankinen. The previous guidelines date back to 2010.Prime Minister Sanna Marin will correct her pre-completed tax return for 2020 in line with the opinion of the Tax Administration.

NordenBladet — In their meeting on Friday 4 June 2021, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed the preparation of the Government’s Defence Report.

NordenBladet — Finland has received positive feedback on the good quality and implementation of development cooperation. Particular praise is given for the reforms and results-based approach to development cooperation. This shows in the Mid-term Review of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Development Assistance Committee praises Finland for instilling a strong results-based culture in development cooperation.

Photo from Ethiopia: Kirsi Pere/UMThe OECD estimates that Finland’s development cooperation has been very impactful also during the COVID-19 pandemic.

NordenBladet — According to the Working Life Barometer 2020 published by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on 4 June 2021, the coronavirus pandemic had little effect on the physical and mental strain of work or work ability among all wage and salary earners. The level of stress or work exhaustion experienced also did not change significantly from 2019. However, there were clear differences between groups.

The mental strain and stress caused by work decreased among higher-ranking salaried employees and those employed by the State, that is, those who worked remotely the most. In addition, more higher-ranking salaried employees and those employed by the State estimated their mental work capacity to be very good compared to 2019.

“The positive effects of remote work are reflected in the results. Good work capacity helps people to cope with work and stay at work longer. Employees that do well are key to productive work and lasting careers,” says Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen.

With remote work becoming more common, more employees have an opportunity to choose where to work. Of wage and salary earners, 36% were able to have a significant or a fair amount of influence on where they work, compared with 29% in 2019.

Sick leaves decrease markedly
The number of sick leaves, in particular short sick leaves, decreased considerably from 2019. Of wage and salary earners, 63% had been absent from work due to their own illness in the previous 12 months in 2020, compared with 71% in 2019. The coronavirus pandemic affected in particular the sick leaves of higher-ranking salaried employees, whose absences fell by 13 percentage points from 2019.

“Remote work, improved hand hygiene and safety distances explain the fall in the number of short absences during the epidemic. However, the results do not yet reflect the long-term effects of the epidemic. There is a risk that poor ergonomics will increase the incidence of musculoskeletal disorders. We must also closely monitor the trend in mental health problems and other psychological ill health,” Haatainen adds.

Discrimination, bullying and physical violence at work continue
The amount of discrimination at work has not changed significantly in the long term. Only the discrimination of older people has decreased slightly from the beginning of the time series. As in previous years, discrimination of employees on fixed-term employment relationship was the most common reason for discrimination (11%) in 2020, according to the responses in Working Life Barometer.  Bullying at work is still common. In 2020, about 53% of wage and salary earners had witnessed at least occasional bullying by colleagues, supervisors or customers at their workplace. Women (62%) had witnessed it much more frequently than men (44%).

Women and municipal employees in particular had experienced the threat of physical violence on the part of customers or become a victim of it. In 2020, 49% of municipal sector employees had witnessed physical violence and 24% had been threatened with violence or become victims of it.

“Discrimination, bullying and violence have wide-ranging negative effects on wellbeing at work, participation in working life, length of careers and productivity. Unfair treatment undermines active participation in society and at its worst can lead to exclusion and a poorer quality of life. It is the Government’s objective to strengthen non-discrimination, gender equality and employment. By creating tools to promote equality at working life and by raising awareness, we can achieve positive development,” says Haatainen.

Membership in employee organisations on the rise during epidemic
Due to the weakening economy, more wage and salary earners than before feel insecure about their jobs, which has led them to join employee organisations in increasing numbers.  As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, membership in trade unions grew to 69% from 67% in 2019. The decline in trade union membership that has continued since 2016 seems to have come to a halt. Membership in an unemployment fund also became more common. One in five wage and salary earners said they belonged only to an unemployment fund in 2020.

What is the Working Life Barometer?
Conducted since 1992, the Working Life Barometer is a sample study that examines the development of the quality of working life from the viewpoint of Finnish employees. The data for 2020 are based on telephone interviews conducted by Statistics Finland in August and September in connection with the Labour Force Survey. 1,647 wage and salary earners responded to the barometer study in 2020. The data can reliably be generalised to apply to employees everywhere in Finland and in all sectors.

NordenBladet — On Thursday 3 June, the Government appointed Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Master of Laws, as Director General of the International Affairs Unit in the Ministry of the Interior for the period 1 July 2021 to 30 April 2026. Yli-Vakkuri has acted as Director of the International Affairs Unit since 2009. Before that, she worked in the same unit as a senior adviser for legal affairs for ten years. Yli-Vakkuri has also worked as a national expert at the European Commission, as a senior officer for legal affairs at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, and as a national expert at the Council of Europe.

“I am delighted to be able to continue working at the vantage point for Finland’s international activities and EU activities. An important part of the activities of the Ministry of the Interior is to cooperate nationally, within the European Union, in neighbouring areas and as part of the international community “, says Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director General of the International Affairs Unit.Director General of the International Affairs Unit is responsible for the management and effective operations of the Unit. She also directs various authorities in the domestic capacity building for civilian crisis management and the European Union Home Affairs Funds. The Director General of the International Affairs Unit is also responsible for the performance guidance of the Crisis Management Centre Finland.  A comprehensive security clearance has been conducted on the Director General and a non-compete agreement has been concluded with her under the Act on Public Officials in Central Government.