More cuts to care, social security "irresponsible": Labour Mins.

According to Deputy Prime Minster Lodewijk Asscher (Social Affairs, PvdA), the cabinet will not make more cuts on healthcare and social security to enable burden reduction in a new tax system, NRC reports. Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem (Finance, PvdA) called further cuts "nonsensical" and "unnecessary". With these statements the PvdA ministers are going against the demands of the D66 and CDA to support such a new tax system. These two parties wants the cabinet to limit expenditure further in the coming years in exchange for reducing the tax burden on citizens. D66 leader Alexander Pecthold previously stated that the government wants to spend 13 billion euro more these coming years and that cutbacks can easily be made to reduce the burden. Asscher thinks that the money for burden reduction in a new tax system should be gathered step by step. He states that the government will only make cut backs if a problem with the budget makes it necessary. "But just cutting billions, whether that be three or ten, I find irresponsible." According to Dijsselbloem, the measures taken for economic recovery are now bearing fruit. He said this in response to the latest CPB figures. According to the CPB, the economic growth shows steady recovery to 1.7 percent of gross domestic product this year and 1.8 percent next year. The government deficit drops this year to 1.8 percent of gross domestic product and an estimated 1.2 percent next year. According to Asscher, the CPB figures show "that we should not create new uncertainty and should continue to work on recovery and job creation".