Isaksen wants to scrap the Used Goods Act

Man browsing through novels at a flea market. Photo: Clem Onojeghuo /Pexels.com

The Minister of Business wants to scrap the Used Goods Act

“We must put an end to that you must apply for a permit from the police in order to sell used goods,”  states Torbjørn Røe Isaksen (Conservatives). He wants to scrap the whole Used Goods Act.


In a zealous speech during the National Convention at Gardermoen, the Minister of Trade lashes out against laws, regulations, and taxes hindering the business community. One of these is the Used Goods Act. The Government will propose to scrap this law next week, according to Røe-Isaksen.

Although the purpose of the law is to avert the sales of stolen goods, the Minister of Trade and Industry believes that it does more harm than good.

“The Act requires that anyone who wishes to trade in used goods must have a permit to do so from the police. I believe that the police have better things to do than to read applications for selling used anoraks,” he continues.

Highlights Bergans

He highlights the hiking gear manufacturer Bergans as an example of a business that wished to start with trade-ins and resale of used clothes. Bergan decided to shelf the business idea after discovering that they needed to submit a written application to the police for each outlet.

“The law is from the time that e-commerce was trading with a grocery net. The law has been in force ever since, though not so many Norwegians have even heard of it, ” the Minister of Business Affairs muses.

The trade organisation Virke has repeatedly advocated in favour of scrapping the Danish Trade Act. It is delighted that the Minister of Trade is listening to them.

“The Earth does not tolerate that we use and discard as much as we do. It is, therefore, obvious that a law that prevents re-use must be scrapped,”  CEO of Virke, Ivar Horneland Kristensen, asserts.


© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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