The buyer is the German company, TÜV Rheinland, with 22,000 employees.
Through this, Bilprovningen will be owned by a company that has existed for a very, very long time in Germany and is present on several markets. It is a responsible company and there are opportunities for the development of Bilprovningen, says the Minister of Finance at a press conference.
How ordinary car owners will notice the change in ownership is difficult to say, according to Svantesson, but she does not believe it will become more expensive.
I do not see it becoming more expensive because the state does not own Bilprovningen, she says.
This company will nurture the brand and develop the business.
A good bid
The reason the government has decided to sell Bilprovningen now is that they have received a good bid, with several interested parties wanting to buy.
It is good for the company's development. There is no obvious reason for the state to own this particular company, says Svantesson.
Bilprovningen has existed since 1963 and currently has over 100 stations from Skurup in the south to Gällivare in the north. Since 2010, the vehicle inspection business in Sweden has been deregulated.
Since the deregulation, the Swedes have got significantly more actors and places to inspect their cars. It is roughly three times as many today as at the time of deregulation.
More sales on the way?
Before the election, the government parties talked about several companies that were possible for the state to sell, for example, the bank SBAB, Svenska Spel, and the shares they own in Telia.
I do not rule out that there may be more sales during the term of office, but it is not as if we have a large process to get rid of several state-owned companies right now, says Svantesson.
