People lining to the Finnish Immigration service point in Helsinki on April 19th 2021.

The Finnish Immigration Service is improving its customer services. During the summer, the Finnish Immigration Service will open thousands of new appointments for its services points and provide more advisory services to customers. The Finnish Immigration Service is currently exploring the options of upgrading its appointment booking system.

The appointment booking system of the Finnish Immigration Service is currently experiencing a backlog.

Finland will continue to trail its peers in terms of the investment rate in spite of the projected jump in industrial investments, reminds the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK). (Emmi Korhonen – Lehtikuva)

A TIDE of industrial investments is expected in Finland, indicates a survey by the Confederation of Finnish Industries (EK).

EK on Tuesday reported that its latest investment survey suggests that industrial investments will increase at a brisk clip this year, by 16 per cent to 8.6 billion euros. What is particularly positive is that businesses expect increases in both fixed investments and research and development investments.

Sanna Marin of the Social Democrats and Petteri Orpo of the National Coalition participated in a municipal election debate hosted by Helsingin Sanomat in Helsinki on Wednesday, 9 June 2021. (Vesa Moilanen – Lehtikuva)

THE NATIONAL COALITION has held on to a clear advantage over other political parties with only a couple of days of campaigning left until the municipal elections on Sunday, 13 June.

YLE on Thursday reported that its final municipal election poll suggests the right-wing opposition party is set to win almost a fifth (19.6%) of the vote, a share that represents a 0.6-percentage-point drop from the previous poll.

A lunch plate in Chico’s Sello in Espoo, Finland, on 19 April 2021. Restrictions on the restaurant sector are set to be relaxed in the capital region as of today, 11 June. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto – Lehtikuva)

THE CAPITAL REGION of Finland has moved from the worst, community transmission phase of the coronavirus epidemic to the acceleration phase, according to the regional coordination group.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health on Thursday tweeted that the government will consequently convene for an extraordinary session this morning to make a decision on relaxing the restrictions on restaurants in the region.

One of the Finns Party’s controversial campaign ads at a tram stop in Helsinki on 7 June 2021. (Mikko Stig – Lehtikuva)

THE FINNS PARTY has submitted a criminal complaint over the removal of its controversial campaign ads in Helsinki, reports YLE.

The ads, found at least on several bus and tram stops, had drawn considerable criticism for apparently suggesting that people of immigrant backgrounds receive preferential treatment in the distribution of city-owned rental houses.

Smokestacks at the coal-fuelled power plant in Salmisaari, Helsinki, in January 2021. (Markku Ulander – Lehtikuva)

THERE are major shortcomings in the carbon compensation services offered in Finland, according to a report published on Wednesday by Finnwatch.

The Finnish non-governmental corporate responsibility watchdog reported that it evaluated the quality of 29 services for compensating for greenhouse gas emissions, finding room for improvement in all.

3D printers were used to churn out firearm parts in a warehouse near the centre of Tampere, Southern Finland. (Handout / Finnish Customs)

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS in Finland have made almost 100 arrests and seized more than 500 kilos of narcotics, hundreds of thousands in cash and dozens of firearms as part of a global crackdown on organised crime.

The National Bureau of Investigation (KRP) on Tuesday confirmed that the arrests and seizures were made possible by information shared by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

A block of flats in Rastila, Helsinki, on 8 February 2021. The proposed maximum debt-to-income ratio would limit the opportunities of people new to real estate investing especially in population centres, view the Finnish Landlord Association and Finnish Real Estate Federation. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto – Lehtikuva)

THE CAP on total household debt reportedly pursued by the government would become an obstacle to investing in real estate especially for under 40-year-olds, warn the Finnish Landlord Association and Finnish Real Estate Federation.

STT on Monday reported that the government is mulling over capping the total debt burden of households at 500 per cent of annual gross income.

Timo Lappi, the managing director of the Finnish Hospitality Association (Mara), views that the government is violating the act on communicable diseases by restricting the opening and serving hours of restaurants in regions in the transmission phase of the coronavirus epidemic. (Jussi Nukari – Lehtikuva)

THE FINNISH Hospitality Association (Mara) has decided to resort to drastic measures in a bid to compel the government to scrap its restrictions in the restaurant industry.

Mara on Tuesday announced it will submit a complaint against the restrictions with the Chancellor of Justice, the authority responsible for supervising the lawfulness of official acts by the government, ministries and president.

Posti is strengthening its Parcel Locker network and launching outdoor Parcel Lockers developed in cooperation with Finnish technology partners. The unique technical solution has been developed for Finland's demanding weather conditions. The outdoor Parcel Locker brings the solution to areas where Posti has not received space for new indoor Parcel Lockers or extensions to existing Parcel Lockers.