The Dutch economy will show ‘clear’ signs of cooling off in 2009 and will be accompanied by rising inflation, says the central bank on Wednesday in its latest half-yearly statement.

And while Dutch firms are well-placed to withstand the downturn, ‘some will tested’, the bank says.
The central bank says that companies which have been taken over by private equity firms are in a vulnerable position because their acquisition was paid for with large amounts of borrowed cash, reports news agency ANP.