OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's government dropped a plan
to ban begging on Thursday after opposition parties and
rights campaigners said it would criminalize anyone
offering help to the poorest people in one of the world's
richest nations.
The opposition Centre Party dropped its previous
support of the proposed law, leaving the minority right-
wing government -- which has linked begging to rising
crime rates -- without a majority to get it through
parliament.
The legislation would have banned both begging and
"cooperation" with beggars, with fines or up to a year in
jail, in an attempt to outlaw gangs suspected of
organizing trips for homeless people from nations
including Romania.
But the Centre Party said the clause outlawing
cooperation could threaten simple acts of charity.
"It cannot be a crime to give clothes, food and shelter,"
Marit Arnstad, head of the party's parliamentary group,
told the NTB news agency. She said the party would
now not support any national ban on begging, no matter
how it was phrased.
Rights campaigners have also described the law as
draconian and against Nordic traditions of tolerance.
Deputy Justice Minister Vidar Brein-Karlsen told
Reuters the proposed law had now been dropped.
"Everyone knows begging creates debate, and we can
only note that the Centre Party has changed their
standpoint," he said in a statement.
The Centre Party has often cooperated with the two-
party coalition in cracking down on crime.
Last year the three linked begging to an increase in
crime, saying in a joint statement that there had been an
"explosion" in pick pocketing in Oslo to match the
number of cases in Berlin, which has seven times the
population.
Norway, rich from oil and gas, has a sovereign wealth
fund worth $860 billion, or $170,000 for each of
Norway's 5 million population. Last year, the
government passed a law allowing local municipalities
to outlaw begging in public places.

There are 2 things that can never be eradicated, poverty and begging because even in the midst of abundance, some people will create products of their mindsets including these two.