€1.7bn Housing Corp. Tax on the ropes

The renter's levy the cabinet wants to introduce should be of a temporary nature, according to Labour Party senator Duivesteijn to the Senate. He is considering submitting a motion about the subject. The voice of the Labour Party is crucial for the government.Duivesteijn wants the renter's levy to end on December 31, 2016, followed by an evaluation. He also wants a substantial portion of the revenue from the tax to be reinvested in the sector. Dutch Parliament / Flickr The Labour Party senator is critical of the current government's plans for the residential sector, which he labels a list of measures. 'It's not a question of a fundamental reform.' He also has no principle objection to a renter's levy. 'But it has to fit into a shared vision.' The PvdA hopes to come to a 'synthesis' with Minister Blok. If the Labour Party MP votes against, there will be no support for the housing agreement. The VVD and PvdA signed the housing agreement with the opposition parties, D66, ChristenUnie, and SGP. Spokesman Duivesteijn has long expressed criticism of the renter's levy, an important part of the housing agreement. Housing associations pay a levy of up to 1.7 billion in 2017. Minister Block responded Tuesday evening. Later that night Duivesteijn announced to be more positive about the commitments of the minster, but he would not definitively say whether he would support the housing agreement. The Labour Party Senator indicated that Blok is willing to adjust the rate of the levy, which is a key point and a very important step.