DutchNews.nl - DutchNews.nl brings daily news from The Netherlands in English

7 June 2025
Newsletter Donate Advertise
  • News
  • Life in the Netherlands
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
  • Search
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Art and culture
  • Sport
  • Europe
  • Society
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Education
  • News
    • Home
    • Economy
    • Art and culture
    • Sport
    • Europe
    • Society
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Education
  • Life in the Netherlands
    • Latest
    • Opinion
    • Books
    • Travel
    • 10 Questions
    • Learning Dutch
    • Inburgering with DN
    • Food & Drink
    • Ask us anything
  • Jobs
  • Podcast
  • About us
    • Team
    • Donate
    • Advertise
    • Writing for Dutch News
    • Contact us
    • Privacy
    • Newsletter
  • Search

Dutch economy is in a ‘crucial phase’, says finance minister

September 15, 2015

finance minister and suitcaseThe Dutch economy is now growing more quickly than expected, finance minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem told parliament on Tuesday, as he handed the government’s 2016 spending plans to MPs.

‘The Netherlands has wrestled itself out of the crisis,’ Dijsselbloem said. It has been a difficult period, the minister said. ‘The recovery has expanded from exports to consumer spending and “pay rise” has now outstripped “redundancy pay” as an internet search term,’ the minister said.

Dijsselbloem outlined the government’s broad plans to boost spending on nursing homes, on defence and on childcare and to cut the second and third tax bands.

Nevertheless, there are still too many people at home not working, the minister said. The tax cuts will boost job creation, he said. ‘We cannot be content with average growth of just 1.5%,’ the minister told MPs.

‘We are at the crucial phase of implementing the reforms which have been put in place,’ Dijsselbloem said.

Read Dijsselbloem’s speech (official translation in English)

After several successive budgets in which ministry spending was slashed to bring the government’s finances under control, this year there is some room for extra outgoings. These are the main points which have already been leaked.

Government finances

  • 2% economic growth in 2015, 2.4% in 2016
  • Budget deficit to hit 2.2% this year, 1.5% in 2016
  • National debt to shrink to 66.2%

Personal finances

  • €5bn to fund tax cuts which the government hopes will create 35,000 jobs
  • Tax on mineral water and fruit juice to raise €30m
  • Childcare subsidies to rise, costing €290m a year
  • €60m to ensure all toddlers have a few hours in daycare a week
  • Paternity leave to be increased from two to five days
  • Spending power to rise by an average 1.4%, no boost for those on minimum incomes
  • Asset tax to be overhauled and increased for those with over €100,000.
  • Cuts in housing benefit to be delayed

Welfare and health

  • €100m for local councils to realise sheltered work schemes
  • €1,000 per year per nursing home patient to be spent on one-to-one contact
  • €210m to improve nursing home care, boost staff numbers
  • €20m to compensate carers hit by the personal care budget problems

Other

  • €150m for research and start-ups
  • €220m more for defence spending, rising to €345m by 2020
  • €649m for refugee settlement of which €110m for camps abroad
  • €3m has been earmarked for tackling organised crime in the south of the country
  • The king to get a pay rise of €43,000, his mother €24,000 and wife Máxima €17,000. The increase is due to their salaries being linked to civil service pay.
Share this article
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Copy URL
Politics
Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation
Latest
Show more
Yesilgöz under fire for "indecisiveness" about far-right PVV
Two-thirds of councils yet to take their fair share of refugees
Cool, changeable weather for June holiday weekend
Crisis? What crisis? Why do we have to wait five months to vote?
Dutch economy set to grow 1.1% this year, trade tensions a risk
NewsHomeEconomyArt and cultureSportEuropeSocietyEnvironmentHealthHousingEducation
Life in the NetherlandsLatestOpinionBooksTravel10 QuestionsLearning DutchInburgering with DNFood & DrinkAsk us anything
About usTeamDonateAdvertiseWriting for Dutch NewsContact usPrivacyNewsletter
© 2025 DutchNews | Cookie settings

Help us to keep providing you information about coronavirus in the Netherlands.

Many thanks to everyone who has donated to DutchNews.nl in recent days!

We could not provide this service without you. If you have not yet made a contribution, you can do so here.

The DutchNews.nl team

Donate now

Dutchnews Survey

Please help us making DutchNews.nl a better read by taking part in a short survey.

Take part now