2023-04-272022/23:FiU22 · p.10FiUEconomy & finance
Capital supply throughout the country
Savings banks' ability to raise external capital for lending across the whole country
What's at stake: Better access to capital could make it easier for smaller businesses and new ventures outside the big cities to get funding, but the issue also concerns how savings banks' distinct structure, which differs from ordinary limited companies, should be handled as they seek to grow.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether the Savings Bank Act should be modernized so that savings banks can raise external capital to broaden lending in rural areas, or whether the current rules and lending from local banks and other investors are already sufficient.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee considers it important that small and medium-sized enterprises in the financial market are given good opportunities to grow and contribute to healthy competition, and that a viable countryside with equal opportunities for business, including lending, matters. The committee holds that this already aligns with the overall goal for cohesive rural policy that parliament has previously adopted, and therefore rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 22 (C)
The reservation (C) wants to modernize the Savings Bank Act so that savings banks that do not convert into limited companies can raise external capital, for example through so-called savings bank certificates modelled on the Norwegian system. The reasoning is that the current law prevents savings banks from strengthening their capital base, which limits their ability to scale up lending and contribute to business activity and employment in rural areas.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 22 by C.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
What each plan points to — and how the party voted
For each party: the vote its own election manifesto and party programme point to in this case, next to how the party actually voted. A plan can only point to Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| Plan | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | Yes | Yes 20/0/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| S | No | Abstain 0/1/93/13 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | Yes 16/0/0/2 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| C | No | No 0/20/0/4 | follows the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: low | derived |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | derived |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/10 | departs from the plan | confidence: medium | not addressed |
Broke with the party line
| SAmalia Rud Pedersen (S, Göteborgs kommun) | No — party line: Abstain |
MPs whose vote differs from their party's majority position in this division. Marked with a dark ring in the chamber view.
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:396 by Hanna Westerén (S) demand 1, 2022/23:460 by Isak From and Åsa Karlsson (both S), 2022/23:644 by Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist and Anders W Jonsson (both C), 2022/23:1040 by Kalle Olsson and Anna-Caren Sätherberg (both S), 2022/23:1048 by Mikael Dahlqvist and Lars Mejern Larsson (both S) and 2022/23:1121 by Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist et al. (C) demand 12.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:396 av Hanna Westerén (S) yrkande 1, 2022/23:460 av Isak From och Åsa Karlsson (båda S), 2022/23:644 av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist och Anders W Jonsson (båda C), 2022/23:1040 av Kalle Olsson och Anna-Caren Sätherberg (båda S), 2022/23:1048 av Mikael Dahlqvist och Lars Mejern Larsson (båda S) och 2022/23:1121 av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C) yrkande 12.
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag has discussed a document from the government on the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank Group and regional development and investment banks during 2021 and 2022. The document deals with, among other things, how the institutions work with financial and monetary stability. The Riksdag notes that the IMF and the other economic institutions have an important role to play, particularly to identify and point out risks to financial stability. The institutions' work has been affected greatly by both the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Riksdag welcomes that the institutions have helped member states manage the economic consequences, and also supported Ukraine through financing, technical support and coordination. The Riksdag files the document, that is, closes the matter. The Riksdag has also discussed approximately 80 proposals in motions submitted during the general motion period of 2022. The motions deal with, among other things, macroprudential oversight, the mortgage market and household debt, and money laundering. The Riksdag says no to the proposals, among other things with reference to the fact that the government is already working on the issues.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to abolish the amortization requirement, investigate purpose-based housing savings according to the German model, and establish a central debt registry for high-cost lending. (C) — Reservation 22
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan wants to increase public ownership in the banking sector and in time nationalize it, and sees regulation of the financial sector as necessary to break financial capital's power.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants to increase public ownership in the banking sector and in time nationalize it, and sees regulation of the financial sector as necessary to break financial capital's power. Credit supply in rural areas should according to the plan be secured through joint ownership and public responsibility, not by opening savings banks to external private capital. The requirement is thus rejected, although based on principles rather than a stated position on savings banks.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill öka det statliga ägandet i bankväsendet och på sikt förstatliga det, och den ser reglering av finanssektorn som nödvändig för att bryta finanskapitalets makt. Kreditförsörjning på landsbygden ska enligt planen tryggas genom gemensamt ägande och offentligt ansvar, inte genom att öppna sparbankerna för externt privat kapital. Kravet avvisas därför, om än utifrån principer snarare än ett uttalat ställningstagande om sparbanker.
- nationalized banking sectordecisive»På sikt bör bankväsendet i helhet förstatligas.« (party programme ↗)“In time the banking sector in its entirety should be nationalized.”
- regulation of financial capital»Finanskapitalets makt måste brytas genom regleringar och ökad« (party programme ↗)“Financial capital's power must be broken through regulations and increased”
- cooperative ownership forms»Arbetarägande och konsumentkooperation ska stimuleras« (party programme ↗)“Worker ownership and consumer cooperatives shall be stimulated”
The plan affirms various forms of ownership that stimulate entrepreneurship, wants to support cooperative operations and requires that the entire country can live and develop, as well as that conditions for entrepreneurship are strengthened long-term.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan affirms various forms of ownership that stimulate entrepreneurship, wants to support cooperative operations and requires that the entire country can live and develop, as well as that conditions for entrepreneurship are strengthened long-term. A modernized savings bank regulatory framework that strengthens the capital base and lending in rural areas points in that direction. The capitalization of savings banks is not addressed at all in the documents, which is why the assessment is uncertain.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bejakar olika ägandeformer som stimulerar företagande, vill stödja kooperativa verksamheter och kräver att hela landet kan leva och utvecklas, samt att förutsättningarna för företagande stärks långsiktigt. Ett moderniserat sparbanksregelverk som stärker kapitalbasen och kreditgivningen på landsbygden ligger i den riktningen. Sparbankernas kapitalförsörjning behandlas inte alls i dokumenten, varför bedömningen är osäker.
- various forms of ownership are affirmeddecisive»innefattar olika former av ägande, som stimulerar människor att starta företag och som ser« (party programme ↗)“encompasses various forms of ownership that encourage people to start businesses and that”
- the entire country shall develop»Alla har ett gemensamt intresse av att hela landet kan leva och utvecklas.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone has a common interest in the entire country being able to live and develop.”
- long-term conditions for business»Stärk de långsiktiga förutsättningarna för företagande och innovation.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the long-term conditions for entrepreneurship and innovation.”
- support for non-profit business forms»Samhället bör stödja utvecklingen av de kooperativa« (party programme ↗)“Society should support the development of cooperatives”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan says nothing about savings banks' capital regulations, but it looks positively on local ownership and demands that there is access to capital, as well as that society can assist rural business owners with credit guarantees.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan says nothing about savings banks' capital regulations, but it looks positively on local ownership and demands that there is access to capital, as well as that society can assist rural business owners with credit guarantees. Modernizing the regulations so that savings banks can strengthen their capital base lies close to these commitments. At the same time, the plan urges caution with banks' risk activities, which makes the support conditional.
Original (Swedish)
Planen säger inget om sparbankernas kapitalregler, men den ser positivt på lokalt ägande och kräver att det finns tillgång till kapital, samt att samhället kan bistå landsbygdsföretagare med kreditgarantier. Att modernisera regelverket så att sparbanker kan stärka sin kapitalbas ligger nära dessa åtaganden. Samtidigt manar planen till försiktighet med bankernas riskverksamhet, vilket gör stödet villkorat.
- local ownership and capital accessdecisive»Vi ser positivt på lokalt ägande« (party programme ↗)“We view local ownership positively”
- capital for rural businesses»kreditgarantier till landsbygdsföretagare.« (party programme ↗)“credit guarantees for rural business owners.”
- new business and ownership forms»Vi vill se nya företagsformer inom den sociala« (party programme ↗)“We want to see new business forms within social”
- caution with banks' risk activities»bankernas verksamhet mellan traditionell affärsverksamhet och mer spekulativ investmentverksamhet bör övervägas.« (party programme ↗)“banks' activities between traditional business operations and more speculative investment activities should be considered.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan establishes that capital supply is crucial for small businesses and that redundant rules that brake rural growth shall be cleared away.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that capital supply is crucial for small businesses and that redundant rules that brake rural growth shall be cleared away. A modernized regulatory framework that allows savings banks to strengthen their capital base increases lending where businesses are located. It responds to the commitment that it shall be possible to start and run a business throughout the country.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att kapitalförsörjningen är avgörande för småföretagen och att överflödiga regler som bromsar landsbygdens växtkraft ska rensas bort. Ett moderniserat regelverk som låter sparbanker stärka sin kapitalbas ökar kreditgivningen där företagen finns. Det svarar mot åtagandet att det ska gå att starta och driva företag i hela landet.
- capital supply to small businessesdecisive»Kapitalförsörjning är avgörande för många småföretag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Capital supply is crucial for many small businesses.”
- regulatory simplification for the countryside»Vi ska rensa upp bland överflödiga regler och byråkrati.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall clear away redundant rules and bureaucracy.”
- small businesses' capital shortage»Små och nystartade företag har svårare att få tillgång till kapital« (party programme ↗)“Small and newly started businesses have greater difficulty accessing capital”
- enterprise throughout the country»det ska vara möjligt att hitta ett bra jobb eller starta ett framgångsrikt företag« (2022 manifesto ↗)“it shall be possible to find a good job or start a successful business”
The plan requires that conditions for entrepreneurship, innovation and growth be strengthened throughout the country, that regulatory burden decrease and that conditions for capital provision and a vital capital market improve.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan requires that conditions for entrepreneurship, innovation and growth be strengthened throughout the country, that regulatory burden decrease and that conditions for capital provision and a vital capital market improve. Modernizing the savings bank regulations so that savings banks can strengthen their capital base aligns with this. The plan does not address savings banks specifically, however, so the position is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver att förutsättningarna för företagande, innovationer och tillväxt stärks i hela landet, att regelbördan minskar och att villkoren för kapitalförsörjning och en vital kapitalmarknad förbättras. Att modernisera sparbanksregelverket så att sparbanker kan stärka sin kapitalbas ligger i linje med detta. Planen behandlar dock inte sparbanker särskilt, så ställningstagandet är härlett.
- business conditions throughout the countrydecisive»företagande, innovationer och tillväxt ska stärkas i hela landet.« (party programme ↗)“entrepreneurship, innovation and growth shall be strengthened throughout the country.”
- better capital provision»Skattesystemet behöver förändras för att förbättra företags- och investeringsklimatet och möjliggöra en vital« (party programme ↗)“The tax system needs to change to improve business and investment climate and enable a vital”
- reduced regulatory burden»Regelbördan för små företag ska minska« (party programme ↗)“Regulatory burden for small enterprises shall decrease”
- more entrepreneurs create jobs»Fler företagare och entreprenörer skapar fler jobb och mer välstånd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs create more jobs and more prosperity.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan assigns the public the task to ensure that capital is available for smaller enterprises and in regions with weak capital formation, and that regulations promote access to risk capital for growing enterprises.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan assigns the public the task to ensure that capital is available for smaller enterprises and in regions with weak capital formation, and that regulations promote access to risk capital for growing enterprises. To modernise the savings bank regulations so that the capital base can be strengthened serves precisely this and the goal that the whole of Sweden shall thrive. The plan moreover explicitly values business and service in rural areas.
Original (Swedish)
Planen ålägger det offentliga att medverka till att kapital finns tillgängligt för mindre företag och i regioner med svag kapitalbildning, och att regelverken främjar tillgången till riskvilligt kapital för växande företag. Att modernisera sparbanksregelverket så att kapitalbasen kan stärkas tjänar just detta och målet att hela Sverige ska leva. Planen värnar dessutom uttryckligen näringsliv och service på landsbygden.
- capital supply in weak regionsdecisive»mindre företag och i regioner med svag kapitalbildning« (party programme ↗)“smaller enterprises and in regions with weak capital formation”
- risk capital for enterprises»främjar tillgången till riskvilligt kapital för nya och växande företag.« (party programme ↗)“promote access to risk capital for new and growing enterprises.”
- the whole of Sweden shall thrive»Målet är att hela Sverige ska leva« (party programme ↗)“The goal is that the whole of Sweden shall thrive”
- rural business is valued»Rädda lanthandeln genom att bredda driftstödet till dagligvarubutiker.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Save the rural shop by broadening operating support to grocery shops.”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan wants capital rules to be competitive and encourage investment in Sweden and for companies' red tape to be cut sharply, while the whole country's potential shall be utilized.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants capital rules to be competitive and encourage investment in Sweden and for companies' red tape to be cut sharply, while the whole country's potential shall be utilized. A modernized savings bank framework that makes it possible to strengthen the capital base and scale up credit provision in rural areas aligns with that direction. Savings banks are not explicitly addressed in the documents.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill att kapitalregler ska vara konkurrenskraftiga och uppmuntra investeringar i Sverige och att regelkrånglet för företagen minskas kraftigt, samtidigt som hela landets möjligheter ska tas till vara. Ett moderniserat sparbanksregelverk som gör det möjligt att stärka kapitalbasen och växla upp kreditgivningen på landsbygden ligger i den linjen. Sparbankerna berörs inte uttryckligen i dokumenten.
- capital provision for enterprisedecisive»Ska det ske måste skattesystemet bli enklare, och bolags-, kunskaps- och kapitalskatter vara konkurrenskraftiga och uppmuntra till investeringar i Sverige.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“If that is to happen the tax system must become simpler, and company, knowledge and capital taxes be competitive and encourage investment in Sweden.”
- modernized regulations»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove one third of companies' administration costs and one third of bureaucratic red tape”
- enterprise throughout the country»Moderaterna vill ta vara på hela Sveriges möjligheter.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Moderates want to make use of all of Sweden's potential.”
- market economy institutions»Grunden för Sveriges välstånd är en marknadsekonomi baserad« (party programme ↗)“The foundation for Sweden's prosperity is a market economy based”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan wishes to facilitate industry and business throughout the country, simplify regulations and create conditions for new business, and notes that financing of construction in rural areas needs to be eased.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wishes to facilitate industry and business throughout the country, simplify regulations and create conditions for new business, and notes that financing of construction in rural areas needs to be eased. A modernized savings bank regulation that makes it possible to strengthen the capital base and scale up credit supply in rural areas serves precisely this purpose. The counter-proposal's requirement therefore aligns with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill underlätta för industri och näringsliv i hela landet, förenkla regelverk och skapa förutsättningar för nyföretagande, och konstaterar att finansieringen av byggande på landsbygden behöver underlättas. Ett moderniserat sparbanksregelverk som gör det möjligt att stärka kapitalbasen och växla upp kreditgivningen på landsbygden tjänar just detta syfte. Motförslagets krav ligger därför i linje med planen.
- ease financing in rural areasdecisive»Finansiering av bostäder på landsbygden bör underlättas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Financing of housing in rural areas should be eased.”
- business throughout the country»Underlätta för industri och näringsliv i hela landet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Facilitate industry and business throughout the country”
- regulatory simplification»Verka för regelförenkling och avlasta småföretagens administrativa börda« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for regulatory simplification and reduce small businesses' administrative burden”
- support for new business»Skapa förutsättningar för nyföretagande och entreprenörskap« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Create conditions for new business and entrepreneurship”
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:FiU22)
- Committee report full text (HA01FiU22)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1003 — Sverigevänlig konsumentpolitik av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1007 — Krafttag mot överskuldsättning av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1040 — Stärkt lokal banknärvaro av Kalle Olsson och Anna-Caren Sätherberg (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1048 — Landsbygden och banker av Mikael Dahlqvist och Lars Mejern Larsson (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:105 — Kontanthantering och betaltjänster av Saila Quicklund (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1064 — Kontanter av Dzenan Cisija och Johan Büser (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1116 — Swishtjänst för hela Europeiska unionen av Gudrun Brunegård (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1119 — Det kontantlösa samhället av Torsten Elofsson (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1121 — Fler företag, fler jobb och stärkt konkurrenskraft i hela landet av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1137 — Aktiemarknaden av David Perez och Dennis Dioukarev (båda SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1199 — Digitala fakturor av Åsa Karlsson och Helén Pettersson (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1296 — Krav på kontanthantering av Leonid Yurkovskiy (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1314 — En grön investeringsbank av Mathias Tegnér och Markus Kallifatides (båda S)
- Motion 2022/23:1620 — Sparbankers kapitalförsörjning och mindre bankers regelverk av Mikael Larsson och Catarina Deremar (båda C)
- Motion 2022/23:1643 — En hållbar digitalisering av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1672 — En levande landsbygd för Sveriges bästa av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:171 — Värnande av kontanter av Ann-Christine From Utterstedt (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1808 — Regelverk för stiftelser och premie- och stipendiefonder av Mikael Oscarsson (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1916 — Bankkonto för barn och ungdomar av Sten Bergheden (M)
- Motion 2022/23:2070 — Ekonomiskt våld mot kvinnor av Robert Hannah (L)
Source: The Swedish Parliament