Sweden to relocate some gov't agencies out of capital city

The Swedish government has commissioned the treasury to map out a relocation proposal for 10 large government agencies, Swedish Television (SVT) reported on Sunday.

Last year, the government decided to move a number of agencies outside the capital. Now the government is looking into the possibility of relocating 10 major authorities outside Stockholm County before 2022.

These include the Swedish Public Employment Agency, the National Board of Student Aid, the Social Insurance Agency, etc.

"The state should be accessible throughout the entire country. This will require more of the government agencies, and we are starting that work now," Minister for Public Administration Ardalan Shekarabi told the Swedish TT news agency.

Shekarabi, together with Prime Minister Stefan Lofven, had a meeting in March with all 10 heads of the relevant agencies. Shekarabi emphasized that it is just at proposal at this stage.

Swedes generally have high levels of trust and confidence in public institutions, according to the SOM (Society, Opinion, Media) Institute affiliated with Gothenburg University. This proposal hopes to cement that trust in regional areas of the country.

"We do not want to see the type of regional gaps that we have seen in many countries where trust in the public institutions differs depending on where you live. You are beginning to see such tendencies in Sweden," Shekarabi told SVT.

Previous relocations have been criticized for leading to a loss of expertise since many employees have chosen not to move with the agency. The criticism has come from, among others, the union.

When asked whether he expects such criticism again, Shekarabi told SVT that although it may be a little disruptive in the transition phrase, "it works perfectly well to recruit new staff at these locations. It shows that expertise exists throughout the country."