The cost of government regulation has soared over the past 10 years, and some 1,800 people now work for official watchdogs, according to research by the Financieele Dagblad.

For example, the financial services regulator AFM now employs 463 people, five times the number on its books 10 years ago. The anti-cartel body NMa workforce is 3.5 times as big and the telecoms watchdog Opta 1.4 times.
In addition, new bodies such as the health service regulator have been launched, the paper says.