Today, the cabinet discussed the business climate in the Netherlands with the Catshuis business community. The employers’ organization VNO-NCW is concerned about the attractiveness of the Netherlands. ‘Many companies indicate that the business climate has deteriorated.’
The president of the employers’ organization VNO-NCW Ingrid Thijssen attended the meeting at the Catshuis and calls the conversation “constructive”. The key question is how attractive the Netherlands still is for companies to invest in. These are companies that have already established or are thinking of doing so. Thijssen is very concerned about this. ‘There is really less investment in the Netherlands. A large number of companies indicate that the business climate has deteriorated, with some seriously considering leaving the Netherlands. We have to take this issue very seriously.’
Thijssen sees that things are going well and there are companies coming to the Netherlands. ‘But we’ve been warning for nearly two years of things that still aren’t going right. An analysis shows that investing in the Netherlands is between 25 and 40 percent less profitable than in many countries outside the Netherlands or in America. These are worrying figures.”
Sustainability
That is why the question of how the Netherlands can positively distinguish itself from other countries was discussed today. “Especially now that we as a business community have to make the transition to a sustainable economy, it is important that we keep thinking about the attractiveness of the Netherlands.” After all, there is still a lot to do, concludes Thijssen.
The last word has not yet been said on this, Thijssen points out. The abstract term “business climate” covers a large number of aspects, such as the European internal market, a level playing field for businesses, but housing also falls under this. “The topic is so broad that it’s important that we keep talking to each other.”
The fact that we are working hard to improve the business climate in the Netherlands is essential for the future. According to Thijssen, we should not minimize this problem, ‘because we are wasting the earning power of future generations’.
ICSR extension
Sustainability and a healthy working climate can hardly go hand in hand. The International Corporate Social Responsibility (ICSR) bill that is on the table should make companies accountable for problems in their production chains and make those chains more transparent. But there are different opinions on this bill. Critics, such as VNO-NCW, fear that the business climate in the Netherlands will deteriorate as a result.
Maria van der Heijden of the sustainable business network MVO Nederland is in favor of the bill. “Many VNO-NCW affiliates indicate that there are concerns regarding this transition, such as whether sufficient profits can still be made if too large measures are taken.”
That’s why, according to Van der Heijden, it’s important for an organization like VNO-NCW to make a positive sound and make it clear that it’s possible. “I suspect Ingrid Thijssen is inhibited in this transition by the concerns of her members. In my opinion it can be done faster in practice.’
Source: BNR
Fernando Dowling is an author and political journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. He has a deep understanding of the political landscape and a passion for analyzing the latest political trends and news.
