Efficiencies

Whenever there is anything that needs to be done in Norway that involves paper pushing, it takes much longer than a person would expect.  We were told, when we applied for permission to live there, the process for approval would take three to four months.  It took a year and a half - and that was after several calls to the Norwegian consulate asking them to help move the process along. 

When we leave Norway each year we must turn in the license plates on our car so we don’t have to pay the exorbitant costs of insurance and tabs while we are away.  By Norwegian law, if the plates are on the car, it must be insured and road taxes paid (via the tabs).  It’s always taken about two weeks, after we arrive back in Norway, to get the paperwork processed before we can actually drive the car.  Many foreigners can’t understand how some things, so seemingly simple, can take so darn long to get done – especially in a land that otherwise runs very efficiently. 

Tax returns, for example, are pre-done and mailed out.  If people agree with all the data that’s been reported by banks, employers and other financial institutions, they do nothing.  Norwegians don’t even have to sign their own tax returns or mail it in, unless they change something.  Now that’s efficient.

Paper checks are a thing of the past as everything is paid electronically or with a debit card – also, efficient. 

They’ve now efficiently done away with the laborious task of putting tabs on the license plates of cars.  When car owners pay the annual road tax, it’s just noted in the master “automobile computer” somewhere in the land and all agencies that care about those things, have access to it.

Norwegian law states every driver must pay for the road tax, insurance and for a bi-annual car inspection, to be sure it’s road worthy and not excessively polluting the air.  Once a car has passed the inspection, the company that verified its condition, notes it in the computer.  Once the car owner pays their insurance bill, it gets noted there also, as does the road tax payment. 

So now, Norwegian police can use their time much more efficiently and just stand by the side of the road with a high tech laser reader, scanning license plates of passing cars.  If a person hasn’t kept their insurance, tabs, or car inspection up to date, they get pulled over immediately and the plates are removed from the car until it comes into compliance. 

Even more efficient, is the mobile telephone application someone wrote that alerts drivers as to where the police are standing with those laser guns.  Those Norwegians are a clever bunch.