Local government owned rehabilitation enterprises, accounts (discontinued), 1999-2003

On the whole, local government-owned rehabilitation enterprises are doing well. A contributing factor is the decrease in total operating expenditure's per cent of the operating income. The operating income increased by some NOK 215 million, that is 4.9 per cent from 2002 to 2003. At the same period the operating expenditure increased by approximately NOK 173 million or 4.0 per cent.

Public sector subsidies constitute approximately one third of the operating income have been relatively stable for the last years. They amounted to NOK 1 645 million in 2003.

The equity ratio has increased by 6.8 per cent, from 44.0 per cent in 1999 to 50.8 per cent in 2003. The positive profitability development and improved capital structure for new enterprises may also be contributing factors.

Local government-owned rehabilitation enterprises

There was a slight decline in the number of local government-owned rehabilitation enterprises from 2002 to 2003, from 313 in 2002 to 310 in 2003. The enterprises employed about 16 400 people in 2003 and 14 900 people in 2002 - an increase of about 10 per cent. The employment figures include staff employed by the enterprises and people who are covered by the employment and rehabilitation programmes.

The number of rehabilitation enterprises increased from 237 in 1999 to 310 in 2003.

One reason for the rising number of enterprises is the legal change to facilitate the set-up of such enterprises and a more favourable distribution of wages and operating subsidies from central and local government. Another reason is the changes in Statistics Norway's information about the ownership structure in the enterprises, which has significantly affected the increase from 2000 to 2001. On the whole, the number of local government-owned rehabilitation enterprises has been stable during the last three years.

The local government owns an enterprise if the local government or the county municipality directly or indirectly owns more than 50 per cent of the paid-up share capital.

Work opportunities for occupationally handicapped people

Rehabilitation programmes are designed to provide work opportunities for occupationally handicapped people. They offer training and counselling related to education, rehabilitation and occupation choice. The principal objectives are to find regular employment for the occupationally handicapped and to create jobs. For the majority of rehabilitation enterprises the activities involve production of goods and services. We have therefore concentrated on rehabilitation enterprises owned by local governments. Examples of such rehabilitation enterprises are public work cooperatives (ASVO), work preparation training (AFT) and work with assistance (AB).

Tables:

• Table 1 Statistics of accounts-local government-owned rehabilitation enterprises. 1999-2003. NOK million