The Dutch finance ministry is backing a new foundation aimed at establishing the Netherlands as a leading financial centre.

The foundation is the initiative of a ‘number of groups from the financial sector’ who hope to ape the success of projects such as Europlace France, Finanzplatz Deutschland and the IFSC in Ireland, finance minister Wouter Bos told MPs yesterday.
The Financieele Dagblad reports that Arthur Docters van Leeuwen, chairman of the financial sector watchdog AFM, will chair the new foundation.
Sources told the paper that Dick Sluimers, chairman of civil service pension fund ABP, Robeco chairman George Möller and Joost van der Does de Willebois of NYSE Euronext are also involved.
The paper says the foundation will also focus on exporting Dutch pension expertise and ending the emigration of Dutch investment cash.