Asker, an affluent community located between Oslo and Drammen, is Norway’s best place to live, as measured in terms of municipal service rated by the state consumer council Forbrukerrådet.
Council officials presented Asker officials with medals to wear around their necks and raisin buns to munch on Tuesday after the Norwegian kommune topped the list of municipalities ranked by the information and services that are provided to local residents. It’s important to note, the council cautioned, that the quality of the actual services, ranging from health care to schools and nursing homes, was not measured, only its availability and accessibility.
Residents needing to contact local officials in Asker were said to have easy access, and receive the information or referrals they needed quickly. The top 10 municipalities in Norway included (in order) Asker, Vinje, Nes, Bærum, Hamar, Ringerike, Trondheim, Enebakk, Rælingen and Sarpsborg.
The municipalities scoring the lowest were Moskenes, Lødingen, Vevelstad, Nesna, Radøy, Gratangen, Karasjok, Øksnes, Dønna and Lurøy.
The council concluded that large municipalities perform better than small ones. Only two of those ranking among the 25 best had fewer than 10,000 residents.
newsinenglish.no staff