Newspaper cartoonists protest against planned VAT increase with drawing relay

33 Dutch cartoonists are campaigning against the proposed VAT rise in the news media with a comic relay. Trade organization NDP Nieuwsmedia reported that they will publish a new cartoon or drawing on the subject every day from Saturday until Budget Day. The drawings will appear on a special website from Monday to Saturday.

Coalition parties PVV, VVD, NSC, and BBB want books, newspapers, and magazines to be subject to the high VAT rate of 21 percent instead of the low rate of 9 percent. The measure should generate extra money to reduce the burden on workers and wealthy people and companies.

NDP thinks that the increase will hit regional newspapers and small titles, in particular. "With the announced VAT increase, the government is weakening the position of independent media," says Rien van Beemen, chairman of NDP Nieuwsmedia. "Instead of strengthening it as we may expect from a mature democracy."

The plan drafted by the Cabinet in May last year would be a financial fiasco for many small newspapers. More prominent Dutch media outlets will also suffer, as the costs for newspaper subscribers will multiply as well. For example, an annual subscription to the AD would then cost 60 euros, according to the newspaper.

"The Netherlands is the only country in the European Union where the media are taxed so heavily. This measure must be taken off the table. That is why we are also pleased that so many cartoonists, both well-known and lesser-known, have been prepared to capture their vision of the VAT increase in one glance," van Beemen states.

The NDP News Media placed advertisements in numerous daily newspapers calling on news consumers to support the joint campaign with the cartoonists and to share the respective cartoons on social media using the hashtag #stripdebtw.