The nightlife industry has had enough: – Have never felt more lonely

– Jonas Gahr Støre says that no one should stand alone in this crisis, but I have never felt more lonely, says Paal Mangerud. He is one of the largest owners in the nightlife industry in Oslo and previously elected to the Labor Party.

Paal Mangerud is a co-owner of a number of nightclubs in Oslo, including Blå, Internasjonalen, Bonanza and Feber.

– The Labor Party was tough in opposition and criticized the government, but how they treat this industry is outrageously bad. In Oslo’s nightlife alone, almost 20,000 people work, and there are workers that the Labor Party should have been interested in taking care of, but the Støre government seems to be giving blanks, the former Labor politician thunders.

– Jonas Gahr Støre says that no one should be left alone in this crisis, but I have never felt more lonely.
Rebellion against the scheme In mid-December, the government again decided on a national ban on drinking, for the time being for four weeks. This has already led to several bankruptcies. A national appeal has also been launched against the decision and the parties MDG, Frp, Venstre and SV have submitted demands to abolish the scheme . Also The Labor Party’s own mayors has called for a reassessment of the measure. VG has written there are no other countries in Europe who have gone for the same pouring strategy as Norway to beat down the corona infection.

Paal Mangerud warns of the crisis it brings.

– Either support schemes must be in place or so the occupational ban must be lifted now. Because this is in reality a professional ban for everyone who works in the nightlife industry, he says.

After the liquor ban was introduced in December, he had to shut down all his places and lay off employees.

– For us who live by selling alcohol, there is no alternative. It is a major crisis we are facing if this continues. The reason why we have not seen so many bankruptcies yet is because VAT and the employer’s tax have been postponed through the pandemic with an eight percent interest rate, which provides extra revenue to the state. Now the bill comes, and there will be a landslide of bankruptcies, says Mangerud.

has worked with nightlife for almost 20 years and now sees that everything he has created is about to disappear.

– It’s not like we lose a little money, here life’s work perishes. At the same time, we see that other companies take out record dividends.

to operate pays 40 million kroner in tax every year. – Other companies make a million profit on the support schemes and take out dividends, while the nightlife industry gets virtually nothing. At the same time, no industry has been hit as hard as the nightlife industry, says Mangerud.

He believes that the support schemes are made for large companies and groups at the expense of the small and family companies and wonders if this is what the Labor Party and the Center Party want.

Had to close in Trondheim

The bar stop has also forced the restaurant Credo in Trondheim to be temporarily closed.

– We have had to do this every time there has been a full stop to drinking during the pandemic, says driver and owner Heidi Bjerkan.

– It’s about the earnings basis. And even though we have alternatives to alcohol, we experience that the guests disappear, because they want