Cabinet agrees new cuts to save €3.5bn, no details yet

Friday 29 April 2011

The cabinet has reached agreement on how to eradicate a looming overspend of up to €3.5bn by 2015, finance minister Jan Kees de Jager told reporters after the weekly cabinet meeting.

So far the overspend has reached €2.3bn, of which up to €2bn is thought to be due to healthcare.

Details have not yet been made public, although earlier on Friday it emerged the government does not plan to increase the own-risk element in health insurance above the €40 agreed at the last budget.

Nor is it planning to introduce separate charges for visits to family doctors.

Tough talks

De Jager said the negotiations, which involved the anti-Islam PVV, were difficult but that he is pleased with the results.

‘Getting government financing under control is still on course,’ he said.

The minister will make his traditional spring statement on the state of the treasury on June 1.

According to some media reports, prime minister Mark Rutte may give more detail about the changes in spending later on Friday.

© DutchNews.nl