Dutch industry will have to pay the bill for the 2008 budget which will damage the country’s economic motor, employers’ organisations said on Tuesday in reaction to the government’s spending plans.

‘Lower spending power means less turnover for companies, while we will pay more for the environment without making it cleaner,’ the VNO-NCW, MKB-Nederland and LTO said in a joint statement.
‘It is of great concern that levelling-down is back on the agenda,’ the employers said, refering to plans to increase taxes on top earners and richer home-owners.
Employers said the government’s plans to increase taxes on air travel and cars would do nothing to improve mobility. ‘It will just become more expensive to get stuck in a jam,’ the statement said.
Employers also urged the government to make up its mind on Europe and decide whether or not to hold a referendum on the new EU treaty. ‘Full participation in European decision-making is essential for this country and the economy,’ the statement said.
The organisations also said that limits on tax deductions for pension premiums will hit the upper layer of the jobs market and could damage Holland’s appeal as a location for corporate HQs.