New gov't plan to change Ministry names to cost millions

The Rutte III government is changing the names and composition of several Dutch ministries. The cost of these name changes, which involves new logos, business cards, email addresses, websites and the like, will amount to millions of euros, according to the Telegraaf's calculations.

The newspaper based its calculations on a previous Ministry name change in 2010, when the Ministry of Economic Affairs was changed to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. That cost 1.5 million euros. Two years later, the name was changed back to the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Under Rutte III, the economics ministry will be called the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate, according to RTL Nieuws. Another new name is the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, currently called the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment. And the Ministry of Security and Justice will henceforth be called the Ministry of Justice and Security, because the coalition parties believe that Justice comes before Security as it is the basis of the legal state. In addition to new email addresses, envelopes and name plates, the justice ministry's name change also involves changing the names on all prisons in the Netherlands.

The government formation office did not want to comment on the cost involved in these name changes to the Telegraaf, saying that it is a matter for the negotiating parties.