Notes

Statement on the setting of salaries and other remuneration to senior employees

Norfund complies with the government guidelines laid down on 13 February 2015 with respect to the setting of salaries and other remuneration for senior employees. These are based on changes published in the white paper A diverse and value-creating ownership. The State’s guidelines for remuneration for senior executives in companies with state ownership (Meld. St. 27 (2013-1014)). The changes were adopted with effect from 30 April 2021 and form the basis for the preparation of the Board of Directors’ statement for 2023.

Guidelines for Norfund on the setting of salaries and other remuneration in 2023

The following guidelines apply to the setting of salaries for senior Norfund employees up to the ordinary General Meeting in 2024.

The remuneration system is designed to attract and retain competent personnel. In setting salaries, emphasis is placed on the individual’s contribution to fulfilling Norfund’s mandate.

Norfund wishes to promote moderation in executive salaries. The aim in setting salaries is that senior Norfund employees should have pay conditions that are competitive, but not at the top end of the scale, to ensure that Norfund secures and retains sufficient expertise in the fund.

Norfund considers that other government funds such as the National Insurance Scheme Fund, Export Credit Norway and Investinor form a relevant benchmark.

Setting of salaries

The Board sets the salary of the managing director. The managing director sets the salaries of the corporate heads of department who report to him, after executive salary conditions have been endorsed by the Board. This group consists of senior Fund employees. Norfund’s pay conditions for senior employees consist of fixed salary, pension and insurance schemes and other benefits that cover newspapers, electronic communications etc. The fixed salary is subject to regulation in line with pay developments in the financial sector, represented by reference figures from Finance Norway, the results of the main settlement and for the companies Norfund has defined as its peers, and an assessment of the individual’s performance and goal achievement. The managing director sets annual goals for the individual member of the executive group and the Board sets goals for the managing director.

Senior employees have three months notice of termination. The CEO has an agreement for pay after termination of employment equivalent to 6 months’ salary. This arrangement is in line with the guidelines for salary and other remuneration.

Pension and insurance conditions

In 2018 Norfund closed its defined benefit pension scheme to new employees, and now offers a defined contribution scheme to all company employees, including managers. The transition to the new scheme was voluntary for existing employees. This means that Norfund has both a defined benefit and a defined contribution scheme for agreements entered into before the closure of the former in 2018. The defined benefit scheme entitles the individual to defined future benefits and depends primarily on the number of qualifying years, pay level on reaching retirement age and the size of National Insurance benefits. Agreements entered into prior to 2018 exceed the current guidelines for senior executive salaries, as the previous scheme entailed a full qualifying period of 30 years and pension payments of 70 per cent of salaries up to 12 G The pension scheme satisfies the requirements of the Act on Mandatory Occupational Pensions. There are currently 64 employees covered by the defined contribution scheme and 28 by the defined benefit scheme. Norfund also has a scheme which entitles employees to pension rights for salaries in excess of 12 G. This scheme was closed to new members in 2012. The scheme, which is funded from operations, consists of 66% of pay in excess of 12 G with a retirement age of 67 and a full qualification period of 30 years in the calculation base. If the service period is calculated as being less than 30 years, the pension is reduced proportionately. On termination of employment or on reaching retirement age, employees receive a settlement for the value of the amount saved. This scheme currently covers 4 employees. In the defined contribution scheme, 7 per cent of salary is set aside from pay from 0–7.0 G, and 20% from salaries of 7.1–12 G. The costs of both schemes are included in the calculation of pension expenses.

Senior Norfund employees are covered by insurance schemes that apply to all Norfund employees.

Remuneration to Norfund’s Board of Directors

Norfund’s Board of Directors consisted in 2023 of the Chair and 8 Board members. In 2023 the General Meeting set remuneration to the Chair at NOK 308 200 (295 000 in 2022), while remuneration to the Board members, with the exception of the two employee representatives, was set at NOK 153 600. In 2023 the General Meeting set remuneration for the chair of the Risk and Audit Committee at NOK 83 600 and for the members of the committee at NOK 72 100.

Bonuses

The company has no share or option schemes for its employees, and there are no plans for such schemes. In all 89 employees of a total of 115 eligible for bonuses received a bonus for 2023. The highest total bonus award in 2023 was NOK 100 000. The bonus scheme accounted for 3.1 per cent of Norfund’s payroll expenses in 2022, a total of NOK 3 920 000. Bonuses are paid for extraordinary performance, and the average payment in 2022 was NOK 44 045. The highest payment represented 10.1 per cent of the individual’s salary. Bonuses for senior executives were discontinued with effect from 2023.

A separate Executive Pay Statement has been prepared which contains more details on pay for senior employees.

In addition, business partners of Deloitte AS in other countries delivered other services expensed in the amount of NOK 1.6 million (NOK 0.9 million in 2022) excl. VAT.

Number of permanent employees

The company had 134 (127) employees at the end of 2023. The number of full-time equivalents at year-end was 131 (123.5).

Pensions

In addition to the employee pension plans described in the Executive Pay Statement, local employees at Norfund’s regional offices in South Africa, Ghana, Thailand, Kenya and Costa Rica have defined contribution pension plans. Norfund therefore has no obligations other than what has been paid through the year. In 2023, NOK 2 322 000 (NOK 1 775 000 in 2022) was expensed in connection with these schemes.

Norfund has paid into a separate fund intended to meet future obligations related to the unfunded scheme, the carrying value of which was NOK 23.9 million as of 31.12.