Business community generally pleased with new coalition agreement; Some concerns

The business community is generally pleased with the plans in the new coalition agreement to improve the business climate and companies’ earnings. However, they are concerned that the PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB pay too little attention to innovation at a time when it is desperately needed.

The business organizations VNO-NCW and MKB Nederland praised the outline agreement's attention to entrepreneurship and company earning capacity. They are also pleased with the emphasis on stable policies and some tax plans. “Only in this way can we create the stability and certainty that entrepreneurs need to be able to invest in major challenges.”

VNO-NCW and MKB-Nederland are pleased that previous tax hikes for entrepreneurs have been reversed. For example, the tax on buying shares and the increase in energy and CO2 taxes. “That would have been harmful to the business and investment climate,” the organization said.

However, they are concerned about the termination of the National Growth Fund and the reduction of research resources “at a time when innovation is more important than ever.”

MKB-Nederland is particularly satisfied with what is not included in the coalition, chairman Jacco Vonhof said in the WNL program Goedemrogen Nederland. “I am especially pleased that we are not going to make new policy in every area, but will move on to implementation,” said the chairman of the trade association for small- and medium-sized enterprises. “Entrepreneurs need to know where they stand.”

Vonhof said he saw various issues that MKB-Nederland had been advocating for for some time included in the agreement, such as that work should pay more and that costs should not increase further.

Vonhof’s name was mentioned as a possible Minister or even Prime Minister in the new Cabinet. But the SME chairman has not been approached for this, he said. “I haven't been called. And it’s not my ambition either.”

FME, the business organization representing the high-tech industry, said it was a positive sign that the coalition parties gave attention to the business climate, gave priority to innovation, and wanted to keep factories in the Netherlands. The FME also noted that the broad agreement argues for a more level playing field for Dutch businesses.

FME Chair Theo Henrar was also critical of the section on innovation in the agreement. “However, it remains an agreement in broad terms. As the British say, ‘the devil is in the details.’ And in the things that are not mentioned,” he stated.

“For example, the nice words about innovation appear to be relatively empty when you read in the appendix that the National Growth Fund is being abolished. You cannot achieve great ambitions with a hope-for-blessing policy, that requires a strategic innovation policy and that also requires money.”

FME was pleased that a coalition agreement had been reached after six months of negotiating and that a new Cabinet would soon be able to govern the country. According to the business organization, the success of the new Cabinet will depend on the elaboration of this agreement into concrete policy.

“Until then, there are still a number of open ends, while entrepreneurs mainly need predictable and stable policies,” said Henrar. “For example, the adjustment of the qualification requirements of the knowledge migrant scheme must be designed in such a way that it remains accessible to strategic sectors such as the Dutch technological industry. Because as the Netherlands, we earn a large part of our living from this,” Henry said.

The sector is also crucial for “our strategic security” and for providing solutions to problems such as the energy transition, grid congestion, or the labor shortage in healthcare, he said.

The coalition agreement does offer “enough starting points to strengthen the position of trading and production companies,” said Evofenedex, the association of trade and logistics companies. “We see in the agreement that extra attention is paid to trade promotion, improving the condition of our infrastructure and the commitment to workable steps in the field of sustainability,” said Evofenedex General Manager Bart Jan Koopman.

“These are positive developments for the trading and production companies based in the Netherlands.” In addition, the business association said it is pleased with “the specific attention to improving the business climate, looking at tax measures, SMEs and the ambition to promote digitalization.”

Evofenedex said it was forward to working with the yet-to-be-formed Cabinet to further flesh out important themes in the areas of international trade, sustainability, and digitalization. “We are willing to contribute to the social challenges that lie ahead on these crucial themes, together with our membership of over 10,000. With this agreement, the first lines have been set out, and we are ready to enter into discussions with the Cabinet about further elaboration,” Koopman concluded.