Ministers and senior civil servants have spent a total €559,341 on official credit cards since February 2007, according to records published on Monday afternoon.

The publication follows reports about ministers’ expenses claims made by the Telegraaf earlier this year. MPs and some journalists had called for credit card details, originally kept secret, to be made public as well.
News agency ANP says an initial survey of the credit card payments shows many in connection with meals, hotel stays and airline tickets. Personal details have been blacked out, as have the addresses of restaurants and hotels which ministers often frequent.
Biggest spender is the economic affairs ministry, with a credit card bill of €89,000. At the bottom of the list is the farm ministry, with spending of €6,684.
Unlike ministers, Dutch MPs get a fixed amount for expenses every year.