NordenBladet — The Government has granted EUR 4.2 million in business aid authorisation to the Centre for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centre) of North Ostrobothnia to manage the sudden structural change in Kemi-Tornio. The funding will be allocated in particular to investment and development projects of SMEs that create new jobs in the region.The funding will help the Kemi-Tornio area to minimise the regional economic impact that the closure of Stora Enso’s paper mill in Veitsiluoto will cause. Measures to support the employees and businesses due to the sudden structural change in the region were launched in April when the closure of the mill was announced. The Government is scheduled to decide on the regional development funding for Kemi-Tornio on 29 June, including the total amount that the region will receive to deal with the sudden structural change. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment already granted EUR 2.3 million to the ELY Centre of Lapland in April to help employment efforts in Kemi-Tornio.“The news from Kemi-Tornio have been both negative and positive in recent years. This additional aid that the Government has now granted aims to generate new business and jobs in the area. The support will be allocated to business renewal, innovation and know-how and to improving skills for digitalisation and utilisation of technology,” says Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä. In March, the Government allocated EUR 1.1 million to the Kemi-Tornio region after steel manufacturer Outokumpu Oyj announced it would reduce its operations there.
NordenBladet — Prime Minister Sanna Marin will attend the European Council meeting in Brussels on 24–25 June and the Euro Summit on 25 June.Topics to be discussed at the European Council include the EU’s COVID-19 response, economic recovery and external relations, including with Turkey, Russia and Belarus. The Euro Summit will also take place on 25 June.
NordenBladet — The ministerial working group proposes easing the restrictions on food and beverage service busi-nesses and indoor public events in areas where the epidemic is in the community transmission phase. On 22 June 2021, the Ministerial Working Group on Health and Social Services discussed the COVID-19 situation in Finland and the restrictions in place. Decisions on easing the restrictions on food and beverage service businesses would be made at a government session on 23 June.The ministerial working group proposes that the restrictions on food and beverage service busi-nesses be eased as follows:In areas where the epidemic is at a stable level, all restrictions on customer numbers and opening and licensing hours would be removed. This means that when the epidemic is at a stable level, the only restrictions in place would be the obligation to observe the general hygiene guidelines and to keep a safe distance and the obligation to provide customers their own seats when indoors.In areas in the acceleration phase, the opening and licensing hours of food and beverage service businesses would be extended.Allowed licensing hours would be from 7.00 to midnight.Allowed opening hours would be from 5.00 to 1.00.Customers will no longer need to be seated at a table when served outdoors.The same general obligations and restrictions in place when the epidemic is at a stable level would apply even when the epidemic is in the acceleration phase.The restrictions would be eased as of 24 June.Decisions will be made by the Government as soon as possible on the basis of the proposals out-lined in the ministerial working group. Possible amendments to restrictions on businesses serving food and/or beverages will continue to be considered weekly at the government session, based on the evolution of the epidemiological situation in different areas. Lighter restrictions proposed for public events in community transmission areasThe ministerial working group proposes that the restrictions on public events organised indoors in areas where the epidemic is in the community transmission phase be eased as follows:Participants and parties must avoid close contact with others. The number of participants may not exceed 50 per cent of the maximum number of people allowed in the premises when participants can be assigned their own seating or standing area. In case more than 25 persons are attending, the premises should be divided into separate blocks of maximum 25 persons to keep groups separate.Only 10 persons would be allowed to attend an event at the same time if they cannot be assigned their own seating or standing area. Even then, participants could be divided into separate groups.The recommendations would be unchanged in other respects.The hybrid strategy to manage the COVID-19 epidemic will be updated based on the group’s pro-posals. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will send a circular about the update as soon as possible.
NordenBladet — On 22 June, the Ministerial Committee on Economic Policy gave its support for the Finnish Government’s participation in financing domestic vaccine development and production. The Committee justified its support based on innovation and business policy and financial security of supply.According to a proposal by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Business Finland would contribute to the financing of domestic vaccine development in line with the current financing guidelines. This means that the financing of clinical trials would continue in line with the current guidelines and that phase 3 studies would not receive significant public investments at this time.In addition, the National Emergency Supply Agency will launch and resource a study to explore a potential development project that would boost national vaccination production capacity and improve the long-term availability of pandemic vaccines. The project would subsequently be implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The funding required to implement the development project would be agreed on separately at a later date in line with the conclusions of the study.In addition, Finland would participate in Nordic research into the joint development and production of pandemic vaccines and link its national development activities to this work as necessary.Not a quick solution to the current situation, but justified from the perspective of preparedness for future pandemicsDomestic vaccine development and production will not solve the current challenges related to the availability of COVID-19 vaccines in the short term. That said, support for development work is justified from the viewpoint of innovation and business policy. It is very important to invest in the development of domestic vaccine infrastructure and expertise.Further studies and potential financing of domestic vaccine production in the long term are crucial for security of supply and preparedness for future pandemics.Furthermore, investing in vaccine research and development during the current pandemic is essential for our ability to prepare for and respond to new virus variants. At least two projects are under way in Finland to develop a COVID-19 vaccine.On 27 May 2021, the Government submitted its third supplementary budget proposal for 2021 to Parliament. The Government proposes allocating EUR 3,000,000 and an increase of EUR 6,000,000 under item 32.20.40 (Support for research, development and innovation activities) for the implementation of the health sector growth strategy and to support the vaccine ecosystem.
NordenBladet — Rowda Olad and Abdirizaq Ahmed share a common goal: they want to promote peace in Somalia. As part of a communication project in Somalia and funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, active youth, like Olad and Ahmed, tell about their work to promote peace development.
Abdirizaq Ahmed visits different events to talk about his experiences, forgiveness and breaking the chain of revenge. Picture: Wali HashiRowda Olad works as a psychologist in Baidoa prison in southern Somalia. Her clients include former terrorist group members, who, according to Olad, have been brainwashed to support terrorist ideologies. In her work, Olad seeks to convince her clients to believe in free thinking.
“Mental health is not properly addressed in Somalia. If a person has mental health issues, they are simply labelled as crazy,” Olad describes.
She thinks that more of society’s resources should be channelled to mental health services, especially when the continuing conflicts are causing chronic stress to people and weakening their abilities to lead normal lives.Olad is also politically active and wants to promote the peace development in Somalia. For example, she is taking a stand on the country’s clan system. The clans are choosing the candidates for elections, which continues to aggravate the political atmosphere.
Furthermore, usually only men are involved in politics and women have to fight to get their voices heard.
“If women were involved in the decision making process, this country would be considerably more peaceful,” Olad says.From herdboy to university studentWhen Abdirizaq Ahmed was 8 years old, his aunt tied his hands with a rope as a punishment for letting sheep escape. Consequently, Ahmed’s hands had to be amputated.As a young adult, Ahmed decided to forgive his aunt. This gave rise to a story that Ahmed wants to share with the youth of his country.
“I told my aunt that people make mistakes. I don’t want to be a victim. If I can forgive my aunt, I believe that everyone in this country can do the same,” says Ahmed, who is currently studying at university.Ahmed also reckons that the long traditions of revenge and hate are driven by the clans.
“The clan system in Somalia is holding up the peace development. I want to work to ensure that the youth do not inherit this culture.”
Olad and Ahmed’s stories and the short documentaries based on them are a part of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ communication project that advances peace in Somalia. Journalist Wali Hashi is leading the project until 2023. The project naturally links to a broader Cafis Campaign (forgiveness), initiated by Wali Hashi in 2017.
The short documentaries can be viewed at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ Youtube channel with English subtitles. See Rowda Olad’s story: From Trauma Healing Towards Peace and Abdirizaq Ahmed’s story: Disabled Hero of Peace. The documentaries are broadcasted in Somalian television channels during July.
The short documentaries can be viewed at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ Youtube channel with English subtitles.
NordenBladet — An evaluation of the transition in co-operation between Finland and Vietnam has found that the transition phase led to a reduction in development co-operation and growth in other types of co-operation. Trade and investment have become important instruments for achieving development goals and building a mutually beneficial partnership.
Photo: Florian Wehde
Vietnam is an interesting country from an economic and trading perspective. “Finns can learn something from the entrepreneurial mindset of Vietnamese people. Everything does not always have to be perfect, but you can make progress when you have the passion and make an effort,” explained former Commercial Counsellor to Vietnam Eija Tynkkynen in a webinar address. Tynkkynen now serves as China Country Manager at Business Finland.
A recently published external evaluation commissioned by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs examined the successes and drawbacks of the transition phase, and studied how development co-operation contributed to the transition towards a diversified partnership.
The evaluation findings were presented in a webinar on 16 June 2021. Under-Secretary of State Elina Kalkku pointed out in her opening remarks that Vietnam has been one of Finland’s most important development co-operation partners for almost four decades. Following tremendous economic development in Vietnam, a process of change in development co-operation began in 2008.
“The transition process ultimately took 12 years, and sought mutually beneficial co-operation and involvement of the private sector,” Kalkku continued.
“Relations between the countries are still vibrant after a decade of transition”
NordenBladet — The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is making preparations to expand and strengthen the network of Finnish missions abroad. A new embassy will be opened in Doha, Qatar. The embassy would commence operations at some point later this year. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs has informed that the country will establish an embassy in Finland, too.
The operation of the Foreign Service relies on a comprehensive network of diplomatic and consular missions abroad. There must be a sufficient number of missions, and they must be established in locations that are of key importance for us. It is important that Finland’s interests are promoted also in areas where it has not been present before, and the network of missions should reflect the changes that are taking place in the world around us. In the first years of the 21st century, some missions had to be closed to make savings, but efforts are now made to increase Finland’s global presence. In September 2020, Finland reopened its embassy in Manila, the Philippines. Opening a new embassy is a long and complex process. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs aims to allocate resources to countries and regions whose political and economic weight for Finland is growing. We have looked extensively into various opportunities. Both foreign policy needs and Finland’s commercial interests were taken into account in the consideration. An embassy in Doha will enable further development of political and economic relations between Finland and Qatar and provide greater possibilities for dialogue on various themes. These themes could include trade, commerce, investment, research, innovation, the environment, regional security and democracy.
“An embassy in Doha will deepen the political relations between the countries and open up better opportunities for Finland to follow developments in the region,” says Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto.
Qatar offers significant potential for both short- and long-term commercial cooperation. “A new embassy in Qatar will open up considerable opportunities for Finnish companies around Qatar and the Gulf region with their high purchasing power,” says Minister for Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Ville Skinnari.
NordenBladet — The EU COVID-19 vaccination certificate is now available in the My Kanta Pages. The two other EU Digital COVID Certificates, the test certificate and the certificate of recovery, will be available in the My Kanta Pages as of 14 July.
The EU COVID-19 vaccination certificate contains information about the COVID-19 vaccine the certificate holder has received, such as vaccine name, the date of administering the most recent dose and the number of doses received. You can get a certificate after you have received your first dose of vaccine.
How to get your vaccination certificate:
Log on to your My Kanta Pages at kanta.fi using the identification token of your choice, such as online banking codes or mobile certificate.Select ‘Koronatodistus’ (COVID-19 certificate) from the left-hand menu. There is also a link to the certificate section on the front page of the My Kanta Pages.
To get your certificate click on the link “Avaa rokotustodistus (pdf)” (Open vaccination certificate). If you have a vaccination certificate, it will open in a new tab in pdf format.
Save the pdf file on your mobile phone or take a screenshot. In this way you will have the certificate ready when you need it. You can show the EU COVID-19 vaccination certificate on your mobile device or print it out. The information in the EU COVID-19 vaccination certificate is in three languages, Finnish, Swedish and English. The certificate is free of charge.
Finland’s national COVID-19 vaccination certificate can no longer be used, and you should get the EU COVID-19 vaccination certificate even if you already have the Finnish certificate saved on your mobile phone or printed on paper. In the My Kanta Pages, the EU COVID-19 vaccination certificate will automatically replace the national certificate.
Most vaccination information available in My Kanta Pages
More than 92 per cent of those who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose can now get their certificate in the My Kanta Pages. Your certificate will be available in the My Kanta Pages as soon as the necessary information has been transferred into the Kanta services from the organisation that administered your vaccine. There is still some regional variation in the transfer process, and some vaccinated persons may have to wait awhile for their certificate. Check the progress of the transfer process in your own area (in Finnish) If your certificate is missing in the My Kanta Pages or there are errors in the certificate’s information, please contact the organisation that administered your vaccine. The organisation that entered the vaccination information will correct any errors.
Paper certificates available from healthcare providersIn future, the vaccination certificate will be available in the My Kanta Pages within five days of vaccination.
Everyone who has been vaccinated can get a certificate from the My Kanta Pages, and they can print it out. You can also authorise someone else to use the My Kanta Pages on your behalf.At the moment, you can ask your healthcare provider to give you a similar certificate of your COVID-19 vaccination if you do not use the My Kanta Pages and you do not authorise anyone to use it on your behalf.
In July, a national printing and registering service will be introduced for the temporary use by healthcare professionals. This will ensure that the EU Digital COVID Certificate will be available even to those who do not use the My Kanta Pages.
Certificate validator app to be introduced on 1 July
The content and accuracy of the EU Digital COVID Certificate can be checked using a digital validator app. The validator app will be introduced in Finland on 1 July. It is a mobile application designed for the use by authorities responsible for health security at border crossing points. They will use it to scan the QR code of the vaccination certificates. Travellers can show the certificate on paper or on their mobile phones. The QR code will show the name and vaccinations of the traveller.The validator app will be primarily used by health authorities and authorities providing executive assistance, such as the Border Guard.
The COVID-19 certificates can be checked at three points:In the country of origin in respect of people travelling to Finland. In this case, transport operators may, if they so wish, require a certificate from travellers. However, the Communicable Diseases Act does not obligate transport operators to check certificates.
Upon arrival in Finland. In this case, health authorities and executive assistance authorities are responsible for checking certificates under the Communicable Diseases Act.
Upon departure from Finland. In this case, transport operators may have to check certificates if the countries of destination so require.
NordenBladet — At the end of May, a total of 301,200 unemployed jobseekers were registered at the Employment and Economic Development Offices and municipalities participating in the local government pilots on employment. This is 131,500 less than a year earlier, but 74,600 more than in May two years ago. The number of unemployed jobseekers was down by 17,200 from the previous month. Of the unemployed jobseekers, 154,500 were customers of municipalities participating in the local government pilots on employment. The number of unemployed jobseekers also includes those fully laid off. These figures are from the Employment Bulletin of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.
At the end of May, the number of people laid off was 56,100 in the whole country, which was 125,300 fewer than at the same time the year before. The number of people fully laid off totalled 41,200, representing a decrease of 117,000 from May the year before. The number of people fully laid off decreased by 12,700 from April.The number of long-term unemployed — that is those who had been unemployed without interruption for at least a year — amounted to 110,900, up 41,100 on the previous year. The number of unemployed jobseekers over 50 years of age was 110,500, or 31,200 less than at the same time a year earlier.Unemployed jobseekers under 25 years of age numbered 36,100, representing a decrease of 20,200 from May last year. Of the unemployment periods of youths, 56.4 per cent ended before reaching three months between January and May.
This is 5.9 percentage points less than a year before.Increase in new vacancies
The number of new vacancies reported during May totalled 80,800, or 35,700 more than in May the previous year. In all, the number of unfilled vacancies in May amounted to 154,800, which is 57,900 more than a year ago.At the end of May, the number of persons covered by services included in the activation rate amounted to 113,400, up 7,800 on the previous year. These services include pay subsidies, labour market training, work trials and self-motivated studies.
Statistics Finland: Unemployment rate 9.6%According to the Labour Force Survey issued by Statistics Finland, in May the number of people in employment was 138,000 more than on the previous year. The employment rate was 73.0%, which was 4.0 percentage points higher than in May the year before. According to the Survey, the unemployment total was 275,000, which is 25,000 less than a year ago. The unemployment rate was 9.6%, or 1.3 percentage points lower than the previous year.
Key differences between Employment Service Statistics and the Labour Force Survey
This information is based on the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s Employment Service Statistics and the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland. The Employment Service Statistics of the Ministry are compiled on the basis of the information in the Employment and Economic Development Offices’ customer register, while the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland is based on sampling. In the Ministry’s Employment Service Statistics, people that are not in an employment relationship or employed in business are listed as unemployed. Persons fully laid-off but not full-time students are also categorised as unemployed in the Employment Service Statistics. The Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland has a stricter definition of being unemployed: a person is unemployed if he or she has actively sought employment during the preceding four weeks and is available for work over the coming two weeks. The figures of the Labour Force Survey of Statistics Finland are internationally comparable and thus they are the official Finnish unemployment statistics.
NordenBladet — With the declaration signed in Portugal on 21 June 2021, the EU Member States make the commitment to take determined action to eradicate homelessness by 2030.
“We know that homelessness is directly linked to social, health and mental health problems. This is why Finland has for a long time worked hard to combat homelessness,” Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen said when opening the roundtable discussions after the declaration had been signed.“We are very happy that the other European countries have also raised the level of ambition in their work against homelessness.
”The pledges made in the declaration include better cooperation among the EU and its Member States in eradicating homelessness and adequate funding for the work. A cooperation body will be set up as a platform for sharing means and solutions to support the Member States.
Finland is the only EU country where homelessness has been decreasing for several consecutive years.
“This has required – and still requires – persistent efforts, and we will be happy to share the knowledge we have accumulated during this process. For example, Finland’s Housing First principle has proven an effective tool, and we encourage the other EU countries to adopt it as well,” Mikkonen says.
In line with the Government Programme, the Finnish Ministry of the Environment, together with other ministries, key urban districts, service providers and NGOs, has launched a cooperation programme to halve homelessness by 2023.
The work to prevent homelessness in advance is also supported by making housing advice a statutory obligation. Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Krista Mikkonen attended the conference in Lisbon, Portugal via video conferencing.
