Amsterdam ends 2015 with €27 mil. budget surplus

The municipality of Amsterdam closed 2015 with a positive financial result of 27 million euros, according to the annual financial statements the mayor and aldermen presented on Wednesday. The municipality attributes the positive results partly to the improving economy and the city's growth, the Telegraaf reports. For the first time since the crisis, the Dutch capital saw a decrease in the number of welfare recipients. More than 6,300 found a job last year. Over 6 thousand jobs were created in the city, thanks to the establishment of 140 new foreign companies and the expansion of 35 foreign companies already established in the city. The city also earned 373 million euros with land allocation of new construction sites. This amount was higher than expected. This is the first complete financial statements for Amsterdam as a whole. In the years preceding 2015, the city had 44 outdated administrations, each with its own statements. These were merged together under a new organization last year. A massive job that succeeded thanks to all financial employees, according to Finance alderman Udo Kock.