State Secretary responsible for tax office won't divulge business interests
Folkert Idsinga, the State Secretary for Taxation, won’t divulge his business interests. After repeated requests for transparency, Idsinga told RTL Z that his shares in listed companies are a “private matter.” He discussed this with the government formation leader and State Advocate during the formation process and considers it the end of the matter, the NSC State Secretary said.
Former VVD MP Idsinga switched to NSC last year. He became a State Secretary in the Ministry of Finance for that party. He is responsible for the Tax Authority and tax legislation.
The annual reports of Idsinga’s financial holding company show that the man owns over 6 million euros in financial assets, RTL reports. The final report by formation leader Richard van Zwol states that Idsinga owns “participation in Dutch real estate funds,” loans to SME companies, bonds, certificates, and shares in listed and unlisted companies, among other things, without naming the companies. As State Secretary of Finance, Idsinga’s policy can have a direct impact on the profitability of individual companies.
Idsinga has distanced himself from these interests in unnamed companies. “In concrete terms, this means that I cannot dispose of them during my term of office, have no say in them, and that - where relevant - others have a power of attorney and voting rights over them,” the State Secretary told the broadcaster.
The rules for Cabinet members stipulate that, where possible, the names of companies they have interests in must be divulged. However, the assessment of whether or not it is possible is left to the Cabinet member themself. Idsinga did not say why it was impossible to name the companies he has interests in, maintaining that it is a “private matter.” He claims that his interests have been “placed outside my sphere of influence to such an extent that they do not influence my public functioning.”
Transparency International Netherlands is critical. According to the organization, Cabinet members must offer “a high degree of transparency” so that people can see whether they’re serving national- or self-interest. “There is nothing wrong with owning shares and being a state secretary. But if you choose the combination, there must at least be openness about it,” director Lousewies van der Laan said.
Leo Huberts, an emeritus professor of Public Administration who conducts research into the integrity of public administration, agrees. According to him, share ownership by government members and parliamentarians is a “blind spot” in the discussion about conflicts of interest in the Netherlands. One’s own business interests can “consciously or unconsciously, intentionally or unintentionally,” influence decision-making and must, therefore, be made public, Huberts told RTL.
