Dutch aid minister to cut €1 billion from budget for NGOs

Dutch aid minister Reinette Klever is planning to cut the total budget for NGOs from €1.4 billion to €400 million for the period 2026 to 2030, or some €200 million a year.

The move is the first concrete measure announced by Klever, who represents the far-right PVV and has pledged to slash total spending on development aid by €2.4 billion a year from 2027.  

“My first decision is that we are going to change the alliances with NGOs,” she said in an interview with the Telegraaf. “Less money will go to social organisations, which will become less dependent on government support.”

Aid organisations currently have to fund 25% of their activities via their own fundraising to qualify for government support, but this will go up to 50%, Klaver said.

In addition, NGOs will no longer get any funding to lobby in the Netherlands.

Klever has not said which NGOs will face less funding but did say she will have more details early next year.

However, she said, the cabinet will focus on combating the spread of aids in developing countries, stimulating women to start businesses, on clean and fair trade, preventing female genital mutilation and child marriage as well as violence against women, and protecting human rights.

The right-wing cabinet wants to ensure money goes directly to local communities and organisations on the ground so that the money can be spent as efficiently as possible without complex organisational structures.

The current situation, with dozens of NGOs and projects in 75 countries is “totally inefficient,”  Klever told the paper.