Author: Selwyn Manning

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 04-07-2022 | 09:30

Monday 4 July 2022 at 16:45, the kick-off of this collaboration takes place at the NDW office in Utrecht. The collaboration is known under the name ‘Safety Priority Services’ (SPS).

Minister Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management) says: “98% of motorists now use digital information while driving. In addition, pilots and projects show that providing warnings while driving has a positive effect on road safety. I would like to embrace these developments, in part because drivers of cars and trucks, for example, indicate that they appreciate such warnings and increasingly rely on them. That’s why we will now start our collaboration with six organisations: we will ensure that they safely provide the right information to drivers.”

Safety Priority Services
Users of ANWB, Be-Mobile, Hyundai, Inrix, Kia or TomTom will soon notice something new: their car or app will give them a warning, for instance if a vehicle with flashing lights and sirens activated is approaching. The warning will indicate the type of vehicle and the direction from which it is approaching. Initially, this will only work for ambulances. Other types of vehicles will be added later this year.

In addition, drivers will be warned according to criteria agreed by the government, so that they are not unnecessarily distracted. This warning will be given when they approach unexpected and potentially dangerous situations, such as:
•    Wrong-way drivers
•    Traffic jam tail ends
•    Obstacles on the road
•    Roadworks
•    An accident
•    (Temporary) slippery road
•    Exceptional weather conditions, such as a heavy hail shower
•    Closed lanes (‘red crosses’)
•    Road inspectors or other emergency and rescue vehicles along the road

In addition, they will be provided with information about prohibitions and instructions, such as the prevailing speed limits. In due course, it will be examined whether it is possible to have the travel advice provided by navigation systems take account of possible unsafe traffic situations, for example to avoid school zones. 

Gaining knowledge and experience
With Safety Priority Services, the Netherlands is preparing for EU legislation and rules that will enter into force in 2025. In the Netherlands, the companies involved can gain knowledge and experience in prioritising, designing and offering road safety warnings.

In their collaboration, the six companies combine their own data with data from the National Data Portal for Road Traffic (Nationaal Dataportaal Wegverkeer, NDW). The data of the companies themselves ensure that navigation systems know where, for example, there is slow-moving traffic (traffic jam tail ends) or where road inspectors or their vehicles are located. The NDW data are accessible to everyone and contain information about prohibitions and instructions. 

The six parties will provide feedback on the quality of the NDW data, so that it can be improved where necessary. Agreements have also been made with the companies about how their warnings are given: no action by drivers is needed, so that they can keep their hands on the steering wheel.

Privacy
Naturally, the privacy of drivers is safeguarded. The six parties will ask their users whether they can share the information to increase road safety. If users agree, the data will be fully anonymised and shared with the other parties via a secure connection.
 

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 24-06-2022 | 18:41

However, the airport is located in a highly urbanised area in one of the busiest parts of the country, and has negative effects for those who live in the vicinity. Local residents are exposed to aircraft noise and are also concerned about the impact of the airport on their health, the natural environment and the climate more generally.

The government seeks to strike a balance between the importance of having a large international airport – which is also good for the business community – and of a better, healthier living environment. Today the cabinet approved the proposal of the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management, Mark Harbers, on establishing a new balance.

Considering the public interests involved, the government has decided to prioritise tackling noise nuisance, while ensuring that the airport can continue to fulfil its economic role. This means Amsterdam Schiphol Airport may no longer exceed the established noise nuisance limits, effectively limiting flight movements to a maximum of 440,000 a year. It is expected that this maximum could go into effect in November of next year.

This number of flight movements will allow the airport to maintain its international route network. The possible opening of Lelystad Airport for leisure travel could also contribute to the destinations served by Schiphol, provided that a nature permit is granted to Lelystad airport and the issue of the low approach routes is resolved. All this will take some time, so the government will not make a decision on Lelystad Airport before the summer of 2024.

‘I want to offer certainty, including about the future, to the aviation sector and those who live in the vicinity of the airport,’ Mr Harbers says. ‘This decision serves as a foundation for establishing a new balance. It’s difficult news for the aviation sector, which is still recovering from the huge impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. I am very much aware of this. We will now be fleshing out the details of our decision on the Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, together with local residents and aviation stakeholders.’

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 25-05-2022 | 17:30

The Commission is an independent body, convened by the Government of the Netherlands and facilitated by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Chaired by Professor Mariana Mazzucato, WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Professor Johan Rockström and Singapore Senior Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, it will develop the new thinking on economics and governance required to lead countries out of the current impasse.

The group is composed of 17 experts, community leaders and practitioners from a broad range of science, policy and front-line practice expertise from all regions of the globe. Collectively, they will provide an independent review of The Economics of Water: An Agenda for the Common Good.

Water management is critical

Water is the first casualty of the climate crisis. Extreme floods, droughts and water stress together are already affecting billions of people. In the absence of urgent and effective responses, they will get worse as a result of climate change, over-extraction of water, pollution and water injustice. Improving how water is managed globally is critical to mitigating the climate crisis and injustice and averting growing social and economic disorder, mass migration and conflicts. Yet, water is almost totally absent from the global policy stage.

“The consequences of our collective neglect and poor governance of our water resources will most impact poor people all over the world who will suffer from inequity of access and ensuing water related conflicts. This is already happening

Existing policies obsolete

Humankind relies on water for its food, for its cities, its industry, for health and for energy. Rainfall variability is growing, extreme water events are becoming more intense and more frequent. Combined with fast-growing pressure on water supplies, this has made existing policies and governance of water obsolete. “We are rapidly changing the global hydrological cycle, due to climate change and ecosystem degradation,” said Johan Rockström. “This is threatening human wellbeing, the global economy and the resilience of societies in the face of rising shocks.”

“The dysfunctions in markets today are not an accident, they are the result of decisions that we have taken in business and governments. If every person on the planet is to have access to enough safe water at an affordable cost, we must govern our economy in a radically different way,” said Mariana Mazzucato.

Solutions

The Global Commission will design solutions that go beyond simply fixing market failures. “What is needed are purpose-driven private-public partnerships on a scale that has never been attempted before, to mobilise finance, invest in innovations and deliver access everywhere to affordable, safe water,” said Tharman Shanmugaratnam.

Completing the sustainability trilogy that began with the Stern Review on the economics of climate change and the Dasgupta Review on the economics of biodiversity, the Review by the new Global Commission will provide a fundamental reassessment of the way we manage and value water, and its intrinsic role in addressing climate change and other global challenges.

The Global Commission’s first report will be published to coincide with the UN’s 2023 Water Conference and inform the launch of a “Water Action Agenda”. The two-year project will deliver an action agenda to spur change globally, among governments, local authorities, industry, finance, multilateral institutions and non-state actors.

About the Global Commission

Commission Co-chairs

• Mariana MAZZUCATO, Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London (UCL); Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP); Chair of the World Health Organization Council of the Economics of Health for All; Author of Mission Economy: a moonshot guide to changing capitalism.
• Ngozi OKONJO-IEWALA, Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO); Former Minister of Finance, Nigeria; Former MD, World Bank; Co-Chair, G20 High Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (2021)
• Johan ROCKSTRÖM, Professor in Earth system science University of Potsdam; Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research; Co-chair of the Earth Commission of the Global Commons Alliance; Member European Investment Bank (EIB) Climate and Environment Advisory Council; and the EU Mission board on Climate Adaptation.
• Tharman SHANMUGARATNAM, Senior Minister, Singapore; Chair, G20 Eminent Persons Group on Global Financial Governance (2017/18); Co-Chair, G20 High Level Independent Panel on Financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (2021)

Commissioners and Lead Experts

• Quentin GRAFTON, Professor at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University; Chair holder of UNESCO Chair in Water Economics and Transboundary Water Governance
• Joyeeta GUPTA, Professor at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, University of Amsterdam; co-chair of the Earth Commission of the Global Commons Alliance
• Aromar REVI, Director of the Indian Institute for Human Settlements; Co-Chair of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN); member of the Ubuntu Advisory Board of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), Coordinating Lead Author of the IPCC Assessment Reports 5 and 6

Commissioners

• Yvonne AKI-SAWYERR, Mayor of the City of Freetown, Sierra Leone
• Alicia BÁRCENA IBARRA, Former Executive Secretary of CEPAL, Chile
• LaToya CANTRELL , Mayor of the City of New Orleans, USA
• Arunabha GHOSH , CEO of the Council of Energy, Environment and Water, New Delhi, India
• Naoko ISHII, Executive Vice President and Director, Center for Global Commons, University of Tokyo
• Juan Carlos JINTIACH, Advisor of the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin, Ecuador
• Inge KAUL, Senior Fellow, Hertie School, Berlin, Germany
• QIU Baoxing, President of the Chinese Society for Urban Studies
• Mamphela RAMPHELE, President of the Club of Rome, South Africa
• Ismail SERAGELDIN, Founding Director of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt

Advisers

• Richard DAMANIA, World Bank, Chief Economist, Sustainable Development Vice Presidency
• Kathleen DOMINIQUE, OECD, Environment Directorate
• Usha RAO-MONARI, UNDP, Under Secretary-General and Associate Administrator
• Abebe SELASSIE, IMF, Director of the African Department

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 29-03-2022 | 08:00

These plans will be made public at Intertraffic Amsterdam on 29 March 2022.
 

Minister Harbers (Infrastructure and Water Management): “At the moment we collect information about the state of our roads through for example non-movable sensors and road inspectors. Because there is no continuous measurement, road managers do not have an up-to-date picture of all locations. This situation can be remedied by using information from passenger cars. Several thousand Mercedes-Benz passenger cars drive past countless locations every day, which means that the anonymised information from these vehicles can inform road managers more quickly about the condition of the road. That is why I find this cooperation a valuable addition. In the next two years, all Dutch road managers will be able to use the information.” 
 

Alert in the event of slippery conditions or potholes 
The sensors that are now helping drivers to drive comfortably and safely can also be utilised to monitor road surface quality. Is it slippery? Are traffic signs and road markings still clearly visible? Is the road surface damaged or are drivers frequently crossing a solid line at a certain point? 
Road managers can use this anonymised information to schedule road maintenance. They are better able to manage maintenance contractors and gritting teams efficiently, for instance. In the end, the quick overview of the road situation will help to improve road safety for all road users. 
 

Road manager sees and organises
If road managers (Rijkswaterstaat, regional or local governments) join the ‘Road Monitor’ initiative, they can see the anonymised data on their roads on a dashboard. That indicates, for example, that “Ten vehicles detected a pothole here yesterday”. The dashboard combines vehicle information with public data such as weather and traffic accidents. 
 

Road Monitor provides road managers with a picture of damage or wear more quickly, which is expected to make it possible to remedy this more efficiently. This allows maintenance to be scheduled, which prevents or even postpones major maintenance, because minor damage is repaired at an earlier stage. This will not only make the road safer for road users, it will also help prevent unexpected disruptions. 
 

Investment by the national government
It has been agreed with Mercedes-Benz that this joint programme will be entered into for two years. During that period, the Ministry, Mercedes-Benz and the road managers who have joined the programme will work in close collaboration in order to ensure the successful implementation of Road Monitor. This involves questions such as: Is the information sufficiently detailed and reliable? How can this information best be shared with road managers? What does this mean for work processes? Does it generate sufficient results?

The dashboard will be financed by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management for a period of two years. All road managers can use the information free of charge during this period. They can subscribe through www.roadmonitor.nl. At the end of 2023, the situation will be reviewed and the added value of these data will be evaluated.
 

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 19-09-2023 | 15:44

In the 2024 Budget Memorandum the government follows up on the agreements set out in the 2023 Spring Memorandum. Money has therefore been earmarked for tackling climate issues, strengthening the rule of law and raising the minimum income in the Caribbean part of the Netherlands. In addition, parents impacted by the failings in the childcare benefit system, people living in the Groningen earthquake zone, and Ukrainians – for all their differences – all remain entitled to undiminished support from the government.

‘It is appropriate, given its caretaker status, that the government show restraint,’ said Minister of Finance Sigrid Kaag. ‘We nevertheless have a responsibility to strive for a decent standard of living for all. Now and in the future. We will do what has to be done until a new government takes office. We have therefore put together a balanced package which includes measures aimed at helping the most vulnerable people in society.’
The State Secretary for Tax Affairs and the Tax Administration, Marnix van Rij, said ‘We need to collect tax in order to fund government spending. On education, infrastructure and security. We are also continuing our efforts to make the tax system simpler for members of the public, businesses and the implementing agencies.’

‘The government will continue to work on solving the problems people run up against,’ said the State Secretary for Benefits and Customs, Aukje de Vries. ‘I am pleased that, despite our caretaker status, this government is presenting a targeted package of measures to support people’s incomes. And we will continue our work to resolve the persistent problems in the benefits system and, for businesses that trade internationally, at Customs.’

Purchasing power and poverty measures

The purchasing power of people on low incomes is an issue that has the government’s close attention. Most people will experience an increase in purchasing power next year – by 1.7% for the average person in the Netherlands. But there are differences between groups in the development of purchasing power. One way to prevent this through the tax system is to increase the employment tax credit by €115. As a result, people in work who receive between the minimum wage and a modal income will keep more of the money they earn.

Families with children will also be better off. Supplementary child benefit will rise by up to €750 for the first child, by up to €883 for the second and subsequent children and by €400 for children between 12 and 17 years of age. The term ‘benefit partner’ will be redefined from 2025. This means that, for example, grandparents who move in with their children to live in an informal care situation will no longer have their benefits cut.
Social security benefits will increase fully in line with the minimum wage, because the double tax credit for social assistance benefit recipients will not be reduced in 2024. Free breakfast will again be provided at schools attended by a large proportion of children from financially vulnerable households – €165 million will be made available to fund this in the coming year. Housing benefit will be raised by up to €416. And people who cannot pay their energy bills can apply for assistance from the Temporary Emergency Fund for Energy until the end of March 2024.

Owing to these measures, the number of people living in poverty in the Netherlands will remain the same at 4.8% of the population. This is 1.3% lower than when the government took office. The number of children living in poverty will fall to 5.1%, 2.1% lower than when the government took office.

Public finances

The 2024 Budget Memorandum is the budget for next year. Expenditure in 2024 is expected to exceed €430 billion and revenue will be over €402 billion. The budget deficit is expected to be 2.9% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024. The national debt will be 47.3% of GDP in 2024, well below the EU threshold of 60%.

The debt level will rise in the coming years, to 52.9% in 2028. This issue will continue to command the government’s attention, since it is important for future generations that the public finances remain sound. This is also the reason why the government has fully funded the expenditure on the purchasing power package.

2024 Tax Plan

This year the Tax Plan contains necessary measures for society and the tax system, including key measures to support purchasing power and fight poverty, as well of course as the measures needed to pay for this expenditure. This extra spending will be partly funded by windfalls in 2024. 

But due to financial setbacks in other areas, it will also be necessary to raise additional tax revenue. Consequently, people on higher incomes will pay more tax, in part because the level at which the top rate of tax applies will be reached sooner. The government is also raising excise duties on alcohol, smoking tobacco and cigarettes, partly to encourage healthier lifestyles. Because of the fall in revenue from box 3 income under the current system, the capital yield tax allowance will not be indexed to inflation and the tax rate rise to 34% is being brought forward by a year. In addition, the SME profit exemption will be reduced from 14% to 12.7%. As a result, the difference in the tax treatment of employees and the self-employed will become smaller.

The government will also take measures to improve and simplify the tax system. From next year, employees can receive a higher tax-free allowance for travel costs from their employer. The existing box 3 system will be improved by treating more forms of wealth as savings.

The government will remove the financial incentive for providers of legal assistance to lodge objections on behalf of individual citizens and businesses. This includes objections to decisions on the assessed value of property under the Valuation of Immovable Property Act (WOZ) and car and motorcycle tax (BPM) returns. The government is also improving or abolishing certain tax relief schemes, including in relation to motor vehicle tax (MRB) and BPM. In addition, the government is opting to retain the business succession scheme (BOR). But it will be improved in a number of respects so that it better fulfils its purpose, namely preventing the continuity of a business from being jeopardised upon its transfer.

Business taxpayers who unintentionally make an error in a customs declaration will no longer face criminal prosecution. Instead, they will receive an administrative fine. The period over which a retrospective assessment can be imposed will change from five to three years.

Making the tax system greener is an important part of the Tax Plan. A substantial task faces us as a society regarding the climate. This means we cannot afford to stand still when it comes to the climate commitments we have made. The government will therefore take steps, where possible and effective, to phase out tax exemptions and reduced rates that apply to the use of fossil fuels.

Caribbean Netherlands 2024

The 2024 Tax Plan also includes the 2024 Tax Plan for the islands of Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba. The plan for these islands includes measures to improve and simplify the tax system. The customary pay for director-major shareholders will be amended. An additional €32 million is being made available annually on a structural basis to improve purchasing power in the Caribbean part of the Netherlands.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 19-09-2023 | 15:27

Purchasing power and fighting poverty

The government wants to prevent people on low incomes from getting into difficulties. It is therefore making €2 billion available on a structural basis to support them. One way to achieve this through the tax system is by increasing the employment tax credit by €115. In addition the halving of the young disabled person’s tax credit will be cancelled and the phasing out of the double general tax credit for people receiving benefit under the Work and Social Assistance Act will be frozen in 2024. These measures will ensure than those receiving around the minimum income are left with more per month after tax.

The government has also decided not to fully adjust the thresholds for the top rate of income tax and the second and third income tax bands for retired persons in line with inflation but by 3.55%. Consequently, people on higher incomes will pay slightly more income tax. Nevertheless, their purchasing power will still increase next year. The €1.6 billion raised by this measure will pay for the compensation for people on lower incomes.

The government is also increasing the tax-free travel-to-work allowance from €0.21 to €0.23 per kilometre and making it easier for employers to provide public transport season tickets to their employees. The exemption for public transport season tickets and off-peak discount season tickets is therefore being made more generous and no tax will be payable if the employee uses their season ticket for business travel.

Box 3 and Pillar 2

Financial setbacks are expected in the estimated revenue from the worldwide 15% minimum corporate income tax rate on multinationals (Pillar 2) and the deferral of the introduction of the new system for box 3 from 2026 to 2027. A number of additional measures will therefore be needed in order to keep the public finances healthy and avoid burdening future generations.

One measure is to reduce the SME profit exemption from 14% to 12.7%. The exemption makes the income tax burden for self-employed business taxpayers lower than that of employees. The lowering of the exemption will narrow the gap in the income tax treatment of employees and business taxpayers. The main effect will be that business taxpayers with higher incomes will pay tax on a larger share of their profit or income. The government has also decided to raise the excise duties on cigarettes and rolling tobacco. As a result, as of 1 April 2024 the average prices of a packet of 20 cigarettes and of a 50-gram packet of rolling tobacco will be €10.70 and €24.14 respectively including VAT. Excise duties on alcohol will be index-linked on a one-off basis. Besides generating extra revenue, the government’s aim is for both measures to encourage healthy lifestyles and discourage unhealthy choices.

The deferral of the new box 3 system will result in lower tax revenue from box 3. To compensate for this, the government has decided on a one-off basis not to index-link the box 3 capital yield tax allowance in 2024. This tax allowance will remain at €57,000. Normally the allowance is adjusted annually in line with inflation. In addition, the tax rate in box 3 will be raised by an extra percentage point, from 32% to 34%, a year earlier.

Tax avoidance arrangements and tax relief schemes

In order to bring greater balance and simplicity to the tax system, the government has undertaken pursuant to its coalition agreement to tackle tax avoidance arrangements and to make tax relief schemes that have received a negative evaluation less generous or abolish them. The government accordingly intends to maintain the business succession scheme (BOR) and the deferral scheme for shareholders passing on a substantial interest in a business (DSR ab), but in amended form, since these schemes prevent the continuity of a business from being jeopardised by a gift and inheritance tax liability upon transfer. The government is adopting a total of six measures to make these schemes more robust and simpler going forward.

The special schemes relating to motor vehicle tax and the reduced VAT rate were also evaluated recently. Initial steps are now being taken under this Tax Plan to make a number of schemes less generous or to abolish them because they have been assessed as inefficient and ineffective (or not sufficiently efficient and effective). In relation to motor vehicle tax, four schemes are being abolished and two made less generous. Owners of camper vans now only pay a quarter of the tax paid by car owners. The government wants them to pay half of the latter amount in future, partly because the CO₂ emissions of camper vans are relatively higher than those of cars. It is also possible to temporarily suspend the registration of a camper van, which in practice will often mean that less motor vehicle tax will be payable. As of 2028 changes are also being made to the scheme for classic cars, as a consequence of which only vehicles built before 1988 will be eligible. For now, one of the reduced VAT rates is being abolished: the reduced VAT rate on input goods in the agricultural sector. The objective of this scheme ceased to be applicable in 2018.

Climate policy

Last spring the government announced a number of tax-related greening measures under its additional package of measures to achieve the climate goals. The climate challenges facing our society mean that we cannot afford not to make progress towards our agreed climate goals. For this reason the government wants to introduce further measures now. These measures relate to the voluntary agreement with the greenhouse horticulture sector, including the carbon tax on greenhouse horticulture as of 2025 and the abolition of the reduced energy tax rate for the greenhouse horticulture sector. The minimum carbon price for the electricity sector and for industry will rise of as of 2024, to €51.70 per tonne of CO₂. The exemptions from energy tax and coal tax for producers of iron and construction materials will also be abolished.

To accelerate the transition to zero-emission cars and to subsidise purchases of second-hand electric cars, the initial flat-rate of car and motorcycle tax payable by vehicle purchasers is being raised by €200 as of 2025.

The government wishes to encourage sustainable investment by business and is therefore making more money available for the energy investment tax credit, the environmental investment tax credit and the Research and Development (Incentives) Act.

Caribbean Netherlands 2024

The 2024 Tax Plan includes the Tax Plan for Bonaire, St Eustatius and Saba (collectively ‘BES’), under which the reforms to the BES Tax Act, the BES Income Tax Act and the BES Salaries Tax Act, initiated in 2023, are being continued. These Acts had barely been amended since the islands became public bodies within the Kingdom on 10 October 2010. For instance, the customary wage for directors-major shareholders is being adjusted. In addition, the  turnover threshold for general expenditure tax (the BES equivalent of VAT) is being increased for small businesses to $30,000 per annum. A sum of €30 million per annum is being made available on a structural basis to improve purchasing power in the Caribbean Netherlands.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 31-05-2023 | 16:23

Companies will only pay the new top-up tax if the group to which they belong pays a corporate income tax at an effective rate that is lower than the minimum tax rate. This will be determined by deducting the effective tax rate calculated for that state from the minimum tax rate of 15%. The minimum tax rate of 15% has been agreed internationally. The following simplified example shows how the primary measure works:

Less profit shifting

This bill reduces the incentive for companies to shift profits to low-tax countries. The bill is also intended to put a floor on competition between states over corporate income tax rates. This should prevent a race to the bottom in corporate tax and, in addition, level the playing field for multinationals.

‘I applaud this new step, which will result in a global approach to tackle tax avoidance,’ said Marnix van Rij, State Secretary for Tax Affairs and the Tax Administration. ‘Tackling tax avoidance is a priority for me. Because of tax avoidance, the cost of funding public services is borne entirely by individuals and companies who do pay their tax. This is unjust, especially since those companies who avoid taxes still benefit from services funded by taxation.’

Background

A global minimum level of taxation (Pillar Two) is part of the OECD agreement on the reform of the international tax system, to which 138 countries have signed up. The European Commission proposed a directive on implementing this minimum level of taxation in the EU. EU member states reached unanimous agreement on this proposal on 15 December 2022. Member States are obligated to implement the directive in their national legislation by 31  December 2023. The Netherlands has launched an online consultation on the draft implementation bill at the end of 2022. After the responses to this consultation had been processed, the bill was submitted to the Council of State for an advisory opinion.

The bill will be debated by the House of Representatives in the coming months, and then by the Dutch Senate. The bill  is expected to enter into force on 31 December 2023. The Tax Administration will strive to effectively implement the new rules into practice.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 17-05-2023 | 10:15

These conclusions can be found in the Central Government Annual Financial Report and the Central Government Annual Report, submitted to the House of Representatives on the government’s behalf by Minister of Finance Sigrid Kaag on Accountability Day.

‘The past, the future and the present all tell the same story: we need sound financial policy,’ explained the Minister of Finance, Sigrid Kaag. ‘We need solid foundations in order to transition to a green economy and take measures to protect nature and the climate, now and in the future.’

Public finances

Despite all the additional measures taken as a result of the war in Ukraine, the public finances were in better shape at the end of 2022 than a year earlier: the EMU balance showed a small surplus of €88 million, which rounds down to 0.0% of GDP.

This means that expenditure and income across the public sector are in balance. This outcome stems from a relatively high amount of money that has not yet been spent, and from lower spending on coronavirus measures. The government has not yet been able to carry out all the plans in its coalition agreement, due to the constraints faced by the public sector in terms of implementation and the current historically tight labour market. The total underspend for 2022 is €6.2 billion, up €1.4 billion on 2021. Government debt was lower than in previous years. In 2022 it stood at €480.1 billion, or 51.0% of GDP, compared with 52.1% in 2021

Management of central government finances

As in 2021, last year the management of central government finances was largely dominated by issues with substantial financial ramifications, such as the war in Ukraine, the influx of refugees, and compensation for higher energy costs. All these issues demanded a quick response. In addition, dealing with compensatory measures from previous years has also had an impact on financial management.

Nevertheless, there was improvement in financial management in 2022 compared with the two preceding years. The Court of Audit reached a more positive conclusion on regularity in 2022 than in 2021, for example. There was a marked reduction in the financial scale of the dossiers where central government did not comply with all the rules, or where its compliance could not be established with certainty: expenditure falling into this category amounted to 0.58% of the total. In 2021 that figure was 1.01%. Progress in the area of regularity is attributable to the efforts of all government ministries. What’s more, the procedures concerned with informing parliament in a timely and correct manner are far better known and are better followed.

The Court of Audit also assessed whether ministries had made errors when providing services or carrying out activities. In 2022 the Court of Audit found 44 shortcomings in operational management at seven ministries. This is a slight fall compared with 2021. However, the task of resolving shortcomings in financial management requires time and attention. Systematic improvements in financial management can only be achieved if the foundations are solid.

Wellbeing

Alongside these financial and economic results, the 2022 central government annual financial report also contains an overview of developments in the area of ‘wellbeing’. The government attaches importance to the development of wellbeing in terms of people’s current quality of life here in the Netherlands, and the degree to which this affects the quality of life of future generations and people elsewhere in the world. The government is pursuing policies aimed at enhancing wellbeing and is taking steps to integrate it into the budget system. The Netherlands Bureau for Economic Policy Analysis (CPB), Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP) and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) are also devoting attention to wellbeing.

The Monitor of Wellbeing & the Sustainable Development Goals (2015-2022), a survey published by Statistics Netherlands (CBS), presents a mixed picture: the general level of wellbeing in the Netherlands is high, but there is room for improvement on some themes. It is mainly indicators of ‘later wellbeing’, such as the development of natural capital, that are showing ‘red’. It is therefore vital that we achieve the ambitious objectives on climate change and the natural environment that we set in 2021 in the coalition agreement.

Moreover, wellbeing is not equally distributed across different sections of the population. A recent study by the SCP on ‘contemporary inequality’ shows that inequality not only depends on economic capital (education, income) but is also linked to social capital (‘who you know’), cultural capital (‘where you fit in’) and personal capital (‘who you are’).

Financial Management Task Force

In mid-2022 the Minister of Finance set up a task force to address the shortcomings in financial management within central government. Where possible the task force has supported government ministries, drawing attention to the issue at administrative and political level. The task force identified a need for enhanced expertise on financial management, the procedures that need to be followed and information sharing. This will again demand explicit attention in the year ahead. Ms Kaag has therefore decided that the task force will continue its work.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 21-04-2023 | 10:57

Shareholders not eligible

The compensation will be payable to holders of subordinated bonds, certain participation certificates and subordinated loans expropriated as a consequence of the nationalisation of SNS REAAL and SNS Bank on 1 February 2013. According to the judgment, holders of expropriated SNS Bank and SNS REAAL shares are not eligible for compensation. The process of paying the compensation will begin on 15 May, within the statutory time limit of four weeks after the Supreme Court’s judgment.

Statutory entitlement to compensation

The nationalisation of SNS REAAL and SNS Bank on 1 February 2013 caused the securities and assets to lose their value. In such cases the Financial Supervision Act (Wet op het financieel toezicht) requires the holders of expropriated securities and assets to be compensated. In its judgment of 21 April 2023, the Supreme Court upheld an earlier ruling by the Enterprise Division of Amsterdam Court of Appeal that holders of subordinated bonds, certain participation certificates and loans were entitled to compensation of approximately €805 million plus statutory interest. The Ministry will now proceed to pay that compensation.

Call for entitled parties to come forward

The payment process will begin within four weeks after the date of the Supreme Court’s judgment. The Ministry calls on entitled parties who are eligible for the compensation to apply for compensation through the website www.compensationsns.nl. Applications can be submitted from 15 May 2023 onwards.

Source: Government of the Netherlands

News item | 03-11-2022 | 15:35

In line with the declaration signed by the government at COP26, the intended government policy is aimed at ending new public support via the export credit insurance for the fossil energy sector abroad as of 1 January 2023. Within this intended policy, there won’t be any room for support for new projects aimed at the exploration and extraction, processing, storage, transshipment and transport of fossil fuels and electricity generation by means of fossil fuels. The elaboration of the declaration from last year’s COP26 climate conference in Glasgow is an important step in the further greening of export credit insurance.

Seizing opportunities in energy transition

Although the energy transition can be challenging for businesses with many activities in the fossil sector, this development also offers opportunities for the Dutch business community. In this way, businesses can use their knowledge for climate projects worldwide. In addition, the energy transition will require a great deal of investment in green projects in the near future. The government would like to take advantage of these opportunities and is committed to doing so. Many measures were recently introduced to better support green transactions with the export credit insurance, such as insuring higher-risk green transactions and green cover for investments in green innovations. With additional measures, the government is committed to further greening export credit insurance. For example, a start will be made on proactively setting up credit lines for foreign buyers of Dutch products, so buyers can obtain an export credit insurance-covered credit line for purchasing goods and services in the Netherlands. In addition, the aim is to have 70% of the assignments under the development collaboration infrastructure programmes carried out by Dutch businesses.

Strict conditions for exceptions

Due to the energy transition, certain investments in fossil infrastructure will continue to be necessary in the coming years to provide our energy security. The export credit insurance therefore remains accessible under certain conditions for investments in existing fossil infrastructure, provided the economic life of the infrastructure is not extended. Other examples of exceptions are fossil infrastructure support services, multi-purpose ports and electricity production in low-income countries with extreme energy poverty. Due to current geopolitical developments, the proposed policy also offers scope for projects that safeguard the security of supply in Europe and are in line with European REPowerEU policy.

Careful implementation

Because many projects have a long lead time, the government has opted to apply a transition period of one year. In this respect, applications submitted before 1 January 2023, at the latest on 31 December 2023, can lead to a policy. The Netherlands has opted for careful implementation. 

Since the signing of the COP26 declaration in Glasgow (2021), businesses and NGOs have been involved in the elaboration. At an international level, coordination has been sought about the elaboration of the COP26 declaration with co-signatories. The government wants to ensure a careful introduction of the new policy and a level playing field for businesses. In the coming period, the government will continue to consult with other countries that have signed the COP26 declaration. The elaboration is therefore intended policy that can still be revised if policy developments in other countries give cause to do so.