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MONEY

Sweden to give out 14 billion kronor in fuel and power subsidies

Sweden announced plans on Monday for a 14 billion kronor (€1.32-billion) subsidy package to help Swedes cope with soaring prices resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine on the heels of winter's sky-high energy prices.

Swedish Finance Minister Mikael Damberg announcing the subsidy package on Monday.
Swedish Finance Minister Mikael Damberg announcing the subsidy package on Monday. Photo: Christine Olsson/TT

The proposed subsidies include a temporary reduction of petrol and diesel taxes, a one-time minimum payout of 1,000 kronor ($104, 95 euros) to car owners, a one-month extension through March of a winter electricity subsidy for homeowners in central and southern Sweden, and a temporary increase in housing subsidies for the poorest families.

Sweden has among the highest prices in the world for fuel due largely to its high taxes, at around 21 kronor ($2.20, 1.99 euros) per litre for petrol and 25 kronor for diesel.

If approved by parliament, the measures would come into effect on June 1.

“We are today presenting an exceptional package of measures to counter the price increases we are now seeing as a result of Russia’s invasion,” Finance Minister Mikael Damberg said in a statement.

“The situation is still uncertain and prices are very volatile, but we can see that we need to support consumers in this acute stage and at the same time take measures to reduce our fossil fuel dependency.”

Prices in February were up by 4.5 percent from a year earlier, Statistics Sweden said on Monday, the highest level since 1993 when the country was in deep economic crisis.

Electricity was 14 percent higher than a year ago, while food prices rose by 3.6 percent and clothes by five percent.

Analysts noted that those increases in February did not include the effects of Russia’s invasion — which began on February 24 — and predicted further hikes to come.

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PROPERTY

Swedish property market on steady upward climb

Is the Swedish property market coming back to life after a long period of hibernation? Recent figures suggest as much.

Swedish property market on steady upward climb

Swedish property prices rose for the fourth consecutive month in April – 5.8 percent since the turn of the year and 1.7 percent compared to the previous month, according to state-owned mortgage bank SBAB.

The price of a detached home rose 1.9 percent in April compared to March, and apartments rose by 1.2 percent.

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It’s not unusual for the property market to perk up in spring, but there’s a clear increase even adjusting for seasonal effects. 

“Summed up since the turn of the year, apartment prices have risen by over 7 percent. Even the estimated trend shows a clear increase, in other words prices are rising more than you would expect given the time of the year,” said SBAB chief economist Robert Boije in a statement.

A major reason behind the price increase is the expectation that Sweden’s central bank, the Riksbank, has stopped raising the country’s main interest rate and the hope that it might even cut the rate in its next announcement, which will come next week.

While this is expected to bump up the price of buying a property, it is on the other hand also likely to lead to lower mortgage rates.

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