Karremans pressed to put more into infrastructure fund
In the debate on the infrastructure budget, parties across the Tweede Kamer asked the minister to invest more in maintenance and new projects, and Pro's Habtamu de Hoop suggested charging those who benefit most.
MPs want minister Vincent Karremans (VVD) to invest more in the Mobiliteits- en Deltafonds, the fund that pays for maintenance and new infrastructure projects. They said so in the Tweede Kamer debate on the budget of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
Habtamu de Hoop of Pro, which is in talks with the minority cabinet, said the cabinet must "get to work" to win Pro's support for the budget.
De Hoop suggested that people who benefit most from infrastructure could pay somewhat more for it. Coalition party VVD did not reject the idea: "We don't want to put up sacred cows."
D66 MP Robin van Leijen wants to look at whether Rijkswaterstaat could become a kind of state-owned company instead of a government agency, so that it manages its own income and spending. Pro, the SP and Mona Keijzer in particular objected, seeing little benefit in "privatisation".
JA21 MP Maarten Goudzwaard named the public broadcaster NPO, climate, migration and development cooperation as possible sources of the money. CDA MP Luciënne Boelsma-Hoekstra said it is important that a majority of the Kamer backs the proposals.
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Mobiliteits- en Deltafonds
The Mobility and Delta Funds are two funds within the Dutch national budget that pay for infrastructure. The Mobility Fund covers the maintenance and expansion of roads, railways and waterways, while the Delta Fund covers flood protection and fresh water supply. Because the funds are set aside for these purposes, their size is a recurring topic in budget debates in the Tweede Kamer.
Pro
Pro is a Dutch political party represented in the Tweede Kamer, the House of Representatives. Because the cabinet governs as a minority, it needs the support of parties like Pro to get its budget and other legislation passed.
Rijkswaterstaat
Rijkswaterstaat is the executive agency of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. It designs, builds, manages and maintains the national main roads, the main waterways and the national water defences. As a government agency, its income and spending are part of the state budget, which is why proposals to change its legal form are discussed in parliament.