Questions raised over Ukraine campaign cash; how much is being well spent?

Several of the Ukraine referendum publicity projects which won government funding have failed to materialise or appear to be a waste of cash, Dutch media says on Friday.

In total, €2m was allocated to campaign plans ahead of the April 6 referendum – most of which went to private companies. The applications were not assessed on their contents or ownership, but whether or not they met the technical specifications.

One company Raspoetin BV, was awarded €47,973 to ‘manufacture, transport and distribute toilet rolls printed with arguments against and the disadvantages of Ukraine’s admittance to the EU’. That grant has been widely condemned.

According to the Telegraaf, the finished product is full of spelling mistakes. Finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem described the project as a ‘total waste of money’.

The paper has also calculated that catering company My Party Service BV, awarded almost €50,000 to hand out flyers and hot stroopwafels in support of the yes campaign, was given a subsidy of €2.50 per biscuit.

The Volkskrant too has been examining the results so far. One project, the Stichting Forum voor Maatschappelijk Debat Nederland, was awarded almost €43,000 to set up a neutral and professional discussion forum.

Three weeks before the referendum, the forum has five members, the last of whom commented a month ago, the paper says. Neither the paper nor the referendum committee has been able to get hold of the owner for comment.

Online advertising

Another firm, Val di Cecina, was given a €42,000 grant for online advertising on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Nothing so far has been done and its owner Anne-Paul Houwen, has refused to comment, the Volkskrant says.

In another case highlighted by the Telegraaf, a company which has not handed in any financial results to the chamber of trade since 2011 was able to win a €30,000 grant for a website.

Other questionable grants highlighted by the papers involve multiple applications from political parties.

A spokesman for the referendum committee told the Volkskrant that all the subsidies will be checked after the April 6 vote. If there has been anything dodgy going on ‘the subsidy will be clawed back’ he told the paper.