The cabinet cannot recover bonuses paid to executives by banks and insurance companies which have been bailed out by the taxpayer, finance minister Jan Kees de Jager confirmed on Thursday.

Earlier this year, a majority of MPs backed a motion calling on the government to introduce a 100% tax on bonuses paid to directors backdated to 2008. The banks said at the time a claw-back would be unworkable.
De Jager has now confirmed to MPs it is not legally possible to impose the 100% tax. The minister announced last month he is to introduce legislation which will in future stop banks from paying bonuses if they have been bailed out by the state.