The Budget: ministry by ministry

<Education
* Total expenditure cut by €200 mln to €29 bn
* Knowledge and innovation to get €210 mln
* Extra cash (€103 mln in 2009) to reduce school drop-out rate to under 10%


Social affairs & work
* Pensions up €48 a year
* Childcare up €35 a year
* Workers from Poland, other new EU members allowed to work in NL
* €229 mln for 20,000 work experience places in 2007 and 2008
Transport
* €135 mln for creative solutions to road congestion
* Cars to be tested for safety (APK/MOT) every 2 years
* Free public transport during road work
* Reduction sound nuisance by Schiphol airport
Health
* Limit annual rise in healthcare costs to 2.1% from 5%
* Health insurance premiums to go up €100 to average €1,134 a year
* Extra €435 mln for nursing homes over 5 yrs
Finance
* Corporate tax down to 25.5% from 29.1%
* Environmental energy tax MEP scrapped
* Jobs in personal services sector (gardener, housekeeper) made more financially attractive
Foreign affairs
* Dutch contribution to EU down €1 bn
* Foreign aid up €220 mln (linked to economic growth)
Defence
* Budget up €100 mln due high cost Uruzgan mission in Afghanistan
* €195 mln from special fund for crisis operations
* 25% of military to remain available for Dutch disasters
*5,000 NL troops to participate in operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Africa and possibly Lebanon
Agriculture
* €105 mln for energy efficiency in horticulture sector
Home affairs
* 1,500 extra police jobs by 2014
* Local councils to get €220 mln extra for security measures
* 25% of civil service management jobs to be held by women in 2010
Economic affairs
* Consumer protection authority to be set up
* Better patent system to protect rights of inventors
* €1.9 bn available from Economic Structural Fund for investment in innovation, infrastructure, education
General affairs
* Queen Beatrix’s salary for 2007 €762,000
*Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Maxima both €226,000
Source: Volkskrant

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