Too many people still fall through the cracks when it comes to municipal debt counseling, according to National Ombudsman Reinier van Zutphen in a new report. The municipalities are improving, but the ombudsman still has concerns, ANP reports.
"It must be faster and better", Van Zutphen said in his report. "Several studies show that debts are harmful, especially for families with children. Municipalities should work on that."
State Secretary Paul Blokhuis of Public Health will critically look into the cause of the increased number of suicides in the Netherlands, he said on Tuesday. He wants to know what caused the increase, and whether it is a one-time peak or if something else is going on, NU.nl reports.
The Netherlands' current election process - with manual voting, polling stations that stay open for long hours, and manual vote counting - is no longer feasible and can give rise to doubts about results' reliability. The association of Dutch municipalities VNG and the Dutch association of civil affairs NVVB therefore composed an 'Election Agenda 2021' with several proposals for making this process more efficient, NOS reports.
Between six and 10 Dutch municipalities will experiment with regulated cannabis cultivation and sale, according to a bill sent to the police, the Public Prosecutor and the Association of Dutch municipalities, among others, the Volkskrant reports.
The experiment will last for five years and two months, one year of which will be used on preparation. Cannabis cultivators will be recruited through a tender. For the period of the experiment, they will only be allowed to grow weed for the experiment, and not for other sales.
In half of the municipalities in the Netherlands, nothing is being done to prevent radicalization and jihadism, according to a study by the Security and Justice Inspectorate. Small and medium-sized municipalities in particular ignore this task, RTL Nieuws reports.
Young people who are ordered by the juvenile court to undergo therapy face waiting times of up to one year before their therapy can start, the Volkskrant reports based on its own research.
More children and young people were admitted to secure youth institutions in the Netherlands this year, according to Children's Ombudsman Margrite Kalverboer based on her own research. She also found an increase in the number of emergency admissions, which mostly involve advanced problems, NOS reports.
There was a significant increase in the number of complaints regarding youth care in the Netherlands during the first half of this year, according to the advice and complaint office for youth care AKJ. In the first half of 2016 there were 6,465 complaints, compared to a total of 7,404 throughout all of 2015
Despite the burden of landlords tax, housing corporations have sufficient opportunities to build new housing and renovate existing homes, Minister Stef Blok of Housing said in parliament on Tuesday. He cited figures from Bureau Ortec Finance which show that it is possible to build 250 thousand new homes
Housing corporations association Aedes, the Housing Association and the association of Dutch municipalities VNG are calling for the landlords tax to be abolished. A study by the University of Groningen showes that the tax has a negative impact on the availability of social housing and on households with low incomes,
Almost 90 percent of Dutch municipalities support a call on the government to allow experiments with regulated cannabis cultivation, was revealed in a vote at the association of Dutch municipalities VNG's annual conference on Wednesday.
The Netherlands plans to give people who are deeply in debt a six month break in which they don't have to make payments, won't get reminders for payments and won't get a visit from a bailiff, State Secretary Jetta Klijnsma of Social Affairs and Minister Ard van der Steur of Security and Justice announced on Tuesday
Government institutions need work more closely together when it comes to recovering outstanding debts from citizens. This should prevent an accumulation of debt claims increasing citizens' financial problems, State Secretary Jetta Klijnsma of Social Affairs and Employment wrote to Parliament on Tuesday.
Dutch Mayors expressed their discontent towards the government's asylum seeker plan in the lower house of Dutch parliament on Wednesday and made it clear that they see the commitments required from the municipalities unwise and unclear, NOS reports. The Mayors had nothing good to say about the cost the government will impose on municipalities for failing to adhere to the plan.
The Cabinet is working together with the United Netherlands Municipalities (VNG) and healthcare providers to find solutions to make sure that vulnerable children aren't left without specialized childcare next year, the NOS report.
After a three day strike, garbage collectors of the municipal services are back to work today in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Groningen. The workers have not been collecting trash in these three big cities since Monday, in protest of stalled collective labour agreement talks.
Garbage collectors are still on strike in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Groningen. Garbage is lying on the streets in these cities. The cool, overcast weather is preventing serious odor problems, but residents and business owners are starting to complain.
Garbage collectors of the municipal services in Amsterdam, Utrecht and Groningen are going to be on strike until Wednesday this week, in relation to disagreements about a new collective labour agreement for municipal officials.
Doctors fear they will no longer be able to refer youth to necessary specialists, once the cities take over the budget for youth care next year. At the same time the cities take control of youth care, the available budget is cut with 15 percent.
The UN refugee camp Al Zaatari in the north of Jordan is going to receive aid from the municipality of Amsterdam, the Association of Dutch Municipalities and the cabinet, to help solve problems such as waste management and water access.
Care for elderly with illnesses or handicapped citizens next year is going to be in trouble next year, as 40 percent of municipalities think it will be difficult to organize with the available budget.
The criticism of the idea to ask people on welfare for a contribution is growing. Besides the FNV union, now also the Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG), Divosa, and Alderman Van Es, oppose the plan of State Secretary Klijnsma
This years’ increase in property tax, onroerendezaakbelasting (ozb), is higher than allowed. According to research institute COELO the ozb income of the Netherlands will increase with 3,86 percent this year, where a maximum increase of 2,76 percent was agreed.
