Jorn Skov Nielsen earning his salary?
‘Jorn Skov Nielsen has been head of the department for business and the labor market from 2011 to 2020. He has also previously held various managerial positions in the then Mineral Resources Directorate.Jørn Skov Nielsen's career jump meets criticism
July 9, 2020 · 11:59 by Jens Betak, Nina-Vivi Møller Andersen · Tags: Jørn Skov Nielsen, Greenland Minerals
The former head of department can, for example, use confidential information in his new position as director of Greenland Minerals.
The mining company Greenland Minerals announced last week a sensational job change.The company is trying to get approval for a mining project to extract rare earths and uranium at Kuannersuit in South Greenland. And now Greenland Minerals has hijacked one of the Self - Government's most influential officials in the raw materials area - Jørn Skov Nielsen - as the new director.And the hiring of Jørn Skov Nielsen is both incredibly important and strategic for the mining company.This is the assessment of project manager emeritus at Ilisimatusarfik Birger Poppel, who, among other things, has researched in the field of mineral extraction.
- They get a person who knows all the procedures, processes and rules of the game in the Self-Government with the raw material management - and a large number of other areas. And he also knows all the politicians and officials who work with the case, so it is an incredibly important, strategic appointment, says Birger Poppel.
READ ALSO Former head of department gets director position in Greenland MineralsThe employment of Jørn Skov Nielsen is a cause for concern for the association Urani Naamik, which is fighting against the approval of Greenland Minerals' mining project at Kuannersuit.- We think it's scary, but unfortunately it is not unique. As long as the employment rules are like this, we will probably be able to count on similar situations happening again and again, where individuals have an open opportunity to apply for a job in any company, says Mariane Paviasen, chairman of Urani Naamik.The concern is shared by project manager emeritus Birger Poppel, who believes that the Self-Government has neglected to do something about the problem.- It is worrying with the insight they have, and the Self-Government has had the opportunity to implement some rules in the area, and I think to that extent that you have slept for an hour, says Birger Poppel
.Among other things, Jørn Skov Nielsen has been one of the key officials when the Minerals Act was made in 2009, and he was head of department when the zero tolerance for uranium mining in Greenland was lifted in 2013.From the public to the privateTransparency Greenland will not comment on the specific case with Jørn Skov Nielsen, but generally says that officials are subject to a duty of confidentiality and may not disclose confidential information.
ALSO READ Acid plant and dam with radioactive waste: Mining company lacks answers to 19 environmental questionsHowever, it can be difficult to avoid in practice when people switch directly from the public to the private.One possibility could be a so-called waiting period for public employees of two years - ie that politicians and civil servants can not get work in the private sector in the area that has been handled for the public sector.- If we in Greenland want to limit the possibility of being able to go from a top official position to the top of a private company from one day to the next, then rules must be introduced so that we reduce the possibility of a conflict of interest, says chairman of Transparency Greenland Birita in Dali and continues:- But it will typically cost a compensation to the official to restrict the person's right to choose freely for a period, but it is an option that the Self-Government can consider.Mining company will not answer questionsKNR has tried to get an interview with Jørn Skov Nielsen, but Greenland Minerals has put a stop to it.
The mining company's chief executive, John Mair, writes in an email from Australia that Jørn Skov Nielsen will not answer questions because he is new to the company, and Greenland Minerals will not answer questions about individual employees in the public.The director writes that the company is "open to dialogue with the Self-Government and other parties", but this does not apply to the public in relation to questions about Jørn Skov Nielsen's new director role.Among other things, KNR will have answers on how Jørn Skov Nielsen will comply with his duty of confidentiality from the time in the Self-Government, when he handles his new job as director of a mining company that can benefit from confidential information’.
https://knr.gl/da/nyheder/jørn-skov-nielsens-karrierehop-møder-kritik
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