SalMar founder contributes NOK 8.75 million ($800,000) to Campaign for Government Change
Gustav Witzøe, founder of SalMar and head of Kvarv AS, has contributed NOK 8.75 million ($800,000) to a campaign advocating for a change in government at next year’s election. The donation was disclosed on the group’s website, which has raised a total of NOK 19 million ($1.72 million) to support non-socialist political parties.
The campaign group, Fellesaksjonen, criticizes the current government’s tax and business policies, describing them as being “off course.” It aims to support parties aligned with its vision for a competitive and diverse business environment. The funding breakdown earmarks 50% of donations for Høyre, 25% for the Progress Party (FrP), 12.5% for Venstre, and 12.5% for the Christian Democratic Party (KrF).
In a press release, Fellesaksjonen’s CEO Marvin Wiseth stated: “Tomorrow’s prosperity and welfare society won’t fund itself. We must ensure a profitable, productive, and diverse business sector to finance the society we all aspire to. Unfortunately, it seems the current government has lost its sense of direction. Norway needs a new course.”
Witzøe, along with other campaign supporters, has expressed concern over the government’s tax policies, particularly the wealth tax on working capital. In an op-ed published in E24, Witzøe and co-authors argued that the tax structure is unsustainable and damaging to Norwegian businesses:
“Under the current government, Norwegian ownership taxes on machinery, factories, shares, and jobs have increased significantly. The wealth tax on working capital is effectively a corporate tax in disguise, which must be paid by the owner whether the business makes a profit or not,” they wrote.
Among the contributors to Fellesaksjonen is Laco AS, controlled by billionaire Helge Møgster, which has donated NOK 3.5 million ($318,000). The campaign group emphasized its transparency by publicly listing its donors and reiterated that its funds are earmarked exclusively for election campaigns.
Fellesaksjonen’s leadership argues that the government’s rhetoric against wealth creation and business ownership is discouraging entrepreneurship and investment in Norway, stating that a policy shift is essential to secure future economic stability and growth.
