Minister Sigrid Kaag (Finance, D66) will announce that the time is over when the cabinet scattered billions, the AD reports. There was no question of cutbacks for a few years, but the government must show discipline again, says Kaag.
Her fellow ministers heard Sigrid Kaag say something in recent weeks that they had not heard from a minister of Finance for a while, namely: ‘No. We don’t have money for that.’
The government threatens to spend more than previously agreed and than allowed under EU rules. In recent years, this has been crippled by the shouting of ‘crisis!’ still overlooked, but now Kaag puts on her stern glasses again. And that may be called a trend break.
First because of the corona pandemic and then because of the unprecedented high energy prices, the cabinet pulled out the wallet. “We have very deep pockets,” said Kaag’s predecessor Wopke Hoekstra when corona broke out. ‘And they can be completely empty.’ More than 80 billion was allocated. And barely recovered from that tour de force, Russia invaded Ukraine. Last year, therefore, an energy package was drawn up with unprecedented haste. Minister Kaag did not shy away from the fact that this could cost 17 billion euros.
Strike through STAP budget
The NOS reports that the controversial STAP budget is child of the bill. Through the STAP budget, all citizens can use 1000 euros for training and development. However, dubious parties appear to be offering courses and through the government budget it was also possible to follow a beer tasting or a course to become a horse coach.
