https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finland-withdraws-sugar-tax/

Finland

Finland withdraws sugar tax

Published March 5, 2025 – By Editorial staff

Photo: Matt Schwartz

Candy makers like Fazer applaud the government's decision.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Finnish government is now backing away from plans to raise the sugar tax. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare criticizes the politicians' decision and believes that the tax is needed to improve public health.

Last year, the Finnish government decided to introduce a health tax on foods high in trans fats, sugar and salt. The tax would help reduce a €12 billion budget deficit, but was also justified on the grounds that unhealthy diets cause health problems that are costly to society.

The tax on sweets and chocolate was planned to be raised from 14% to the general tax rate of 25.5%.

Now the government has decided to back down on the tax increases on sweets, reports Finnish state broadcaster Yle. According to Minister of Finance Riikka Purra, the proposal was criticized during the consultation round, and its compatibility with EU regulations was deemed uncertain.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is critical of the government's decision. The sugar tax was part of a larger initiative where it would be combined with reduced taxes on healthy foods.

– We wanted to convey that THL supports the health and well-being of citizens first and foremost by controlling consumption, says Heli Kuusipalo, Senior Specialist at THL.

Candy manufacturers satisfied

The candy company Fazer, which previously criticized the tax increase and called it a "Fazer tax", welcomes the government's decision. The company thanks the government for listening to the industry's objections.

"I am very pleased with the government's decision to withdraw its proposal to increase VAT on sweets and chocolate. In cooperation with other food industry stakeholders, we have been dialoguing on the topic with the government parties and key stakeholder groups since last spring", commented CEO Christoph Vitzthum in a press release.

The tax increase threw a wrench into Fazer's new chocolate factory in Lahti, but now the company announces that development can continue.

Instead of the health tax, the government will raise taxes on wine and also remove tax breaks for electricity use in mines and data centers.

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finland-probes-anonymizing-social-insurance-rulings-after-staff-threats/

Finland

Finland probes anonymizing social insurance rulings after staff threats

Published yesterday 10:37 am – By Editorial staff

Photo: iStock/kieferpix

Editorial staff
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Finland's Social Insurance Institution is demanding that case handlers' names be allowed to be omitted from decisions. The background is serious threats against employees – including bomb threats and threats against their families.

The Social Insurance Institution (Kela) has approached the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health with a request for changed rules. The authority wants it to become possible to make decisions without the case handler's name appearing, something that is currently not permitted.

Security Director Sami Niinikorpi describes an alarming situation where employees are subjected to the worst imaginable threats.

— This is about the most serious possible threat that one person can make to another, he tells Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

The problems have grown since Kela was given responsibility for decisions on basic social security in 2017. The authority sent out approximately 14 million decisions and letters during 2024, of which 1.6 million concerned basic security. Each year, around 200 reports of threats and harassment from staff are received.

Jussi Syrjänen, special expert at the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, confirms that the ministry is now investigating two possible solutions: either names are removed entirely from decisions, or a system with identification numbers similar to that used by police is introduced.

He believes the case involves balancing two fundamental principles: transparency in government administration and employees' right to personal safety.

— Places where employees experience threats and dangerous situations may very well also have an interest in similar measures to those Kela is now seeking, says Syrjänen.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/today-utsjoki-sees-the-sun-for-the-last-time-in-two-months/

Finland

Today Utsjoki sees the sun for the last time in two months

Published November 25, 2025 – By Editorial staff

Photo: iStock/Pez Photography

Editorial staff
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Today the sun rises for the last time in a while in Finland's northernmost municipality. After that, a polar night awaits that stretches until mid-January.

At 11:35 AM on Tuesday, the sun rises above the horizon in Utsjoki for the last time this year. Just 46 minutes later, at 12:21 PM, it sets again – and stays away for 52 days.

Then begins the polar night, the period when the Earth's tilt means the sun does not rise above the horizon. The phenomenon occurs in the northernmost parts of the world and lasts for varying lengths depending on how close to the North Pole one is located.

In Utsjoki, which lies in the far north of Finland near the Norwegian border, it will be completely dark until January 16. Only then will the sun rise above the horizon again, reports Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

Shorter polar night further south

Further south in Lapland, closer to the Arctic Circle, the polar night is considerably shorter. In Sodankylä, a town in Finnish Lapland, it begins a couple of days before Christmas and lasts only four days.

South of Lapland, no polar night occurs at all, but even there the Earth's tilt is clearly noticeable. Daylight continues to decrease until December 21, when the winter darkness is at its deepest. After that, the days slowly begin to grow longer again.

Editorial staff
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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finland-to-allow-wolf-hunting-next-year/

Finland

Finland to allow wolf hunting next year

Published November 22, 2025 – By Editorial staff

Photo: iStock/CreativeNature_nl

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Finnish government presented new legislation on Thursday that will allow population management wolf hunting next year. 65 wolves are to be shot next year.

The Natural Resources Institute Finland estimated earlier this fall that there are approximately 430 wolves in Finland and that the population has increased by 46 percent in the past year. The sharp increase has prompted the government to allow hunting to reduce problems.

Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah justifies the decision by noting that wolves are moving increasingly closer to populated areas.

— The goal is legislation that can sustainably and long-term reduce the problems caused by wolves, she tells Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

Martin Hägglund, chairman of the game council in Southwest Finland, welcomes the proposal.

— There are too many wolves in certain parts of Finland. Therefore, we have problems that we must address, he says.

But environmental organization Nature & Environment is critical. According to executive director Jonas Heikkilä, the wolf population is not sufficiently viable for hunting. He believes the wolf population should be around 500 individuals to be classified as viable.

— Now it just feels like the government is pushing through regional politics, he says.

The legislative changes are made possible by the EU Council of Ministers' decision this summer to downgrade the wolf's protection status from strictly protected to protected. The changes are set to take effect in January 2026 after being processed by the Finnish Parliament.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/concerns-about-childrens-safety-at-finnish-daycare-centers/

Finland

Concerns about children’s safety at Finnish daycare centers

Welfare collapse

Published November 19, 2025 – By Editorial staff

Photo: Markus Spiske/Unsplash

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

A large proportion of staff at Finnish Swedish-speaking daycare centers feel that the environment is unsafe for children. Staff shortages are identified as the main issue.

In April 2025, Finnish public broadcaster Yle sent out a survey to over a thousand employees in early childhood education in Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa, Kyrkslätt, and Kauniainen. A total of 324 people responded to the survey.

The results show that six out of ten employees feel that the environment is physically or emotionally unsafe for children. Staff shortages are identified as the recurring problem. Nearly 200 people describe in their open-ended responses situations where too few adults are responsible for too many children.

— Staff have been replaced in quite a short time, in several groups. It affects the children's safety and well-being greatly, says Marika, who works at a daycare center, to Yle.

Early morning hours and late afternoons are particularly critical. Marika reports that on one occasion she was solely responsible for thirteen children under three years old. According to Finnish law, there must be at least one qualified person per maximum of four children under three years old. However, by calculating an average for the entire day, daycare centers can meet the requirement statistically.

Only one-third of all respondents believe they will still be working at the same daycare center in five years.

Jenni Tirronen, head of early childhood education in Helsinki, confirms that burnout is a major problem.

— We are naturally very concerned about the burnout. Our own staff survey shows that approximately 60 percent of our employees feel that they do not recover sufficiently after the workday, says Tirronen.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

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