At Triangelskolan, the large containers for milk have been removed and replaced by a water tank.
The withdrawn milk has become something of a symbol for Kiruna municipality’s vulnerable financial situation. The municipality has loans of around two billion kroner and a cash flow that is negative.
At the same time, what is Kiruna’s very origin has never been better. LKAB has made record profits almost every financial year in recent years. New mines are about to open in the immediate area.
“A return is needed”
The headmaster at Triangelskolan Per-Åke Hultstedt has given some thought to the dilemma.
He believes that a refund from the natural resource extraction to the local community is needed. But it needs to aim at a longer future scenario.
– You need a return, but you also need an idea. It could be to start the educational methods. We need to move from rough work to intelligent activity.
Municipal councilor Mats Taaveniku (S), whose political majority has chosen to stop the new mining project outside Vittangi, also welcomes the announcement from Minister of Business Ebba Busch to investigate a local mining tax.
You can hear him in the clip.