Letter to Prime Minister-to-be Jetten: focus on simplification and digitalisation

Rodrique Engering, Chair of the NPD and Chair of the Board of KVK: “It is important that we continue to invest in a government that truly supports citizens and businesses. The efforts we have already made in this regard must not be wasted. At the same time, the new government faces a major budgetary challenge, and we realise that we must play our part in addressing it. In meeting these new financial targets, we cannot avoid simplification, digitalisation, and a reduction in administrative burdens.”

Simplification and data sharing

The partnership of implementing bodies, NPD and the IR, had previously called for a simplification bill, aimed at making existing rules simpler. They say it is positive that this is now included as an intention in the coalition agreement. The proposed bill is a good step towards tackling the complexity of regulations. In addition, further simplification is urgently needed for systems where the provision of services has stalled or is at risk of stalling.

Alida Oppers, Chair of the Inspectorate Council: “Simplifying systems and rules is important to make supervision workable. This may involve fewer tasks for inspectorates and fewer rules. But it may also involve simpler application of rules, expanding opportunities for cooperation between inspectorates, or society’s acceptance of greater risk.”

Improvements are also needed in the areas of data sharing, independent oversight, and digitalisation. These contribute directly to better provision of services for citizens and businesses.

Rapid feasibility assessment of policy

The NPD and the IR would like to reach concrete agreements in the short term on regular coordination between politics, policy, implementation, and supervision, and propose carrying out a rapid feasibility assessment as early as the policy preparation stage. This means close involvement in the preliminary stages of policy-making and legislation.

The NPD and IR’s proposals are in line with the intentions set out in the coalition agreement to allow greater scope for professional judgement in practical implementation. Engering: “That is close to our hearts. We fully endorse the statement in the coalition agreement that ‘implementation determines how to go about it’. This requires close and effective cooperation that begins in good time, so that there is scope to genuinely contribute ideas.”

The NPD and the IR propose using the coming period to draw up, in consultation with politicians and policymakers, a sound plan for the responsible delivery of the provision of services and supervisory tasks, with a focus on implementation.

NPD

The NPD, the Netwerk van Publieke Dienstverleners (Network of Public Service Providers) represents over 80 large and smaller public service providers, ranging from the National Police, the Netherlands Tax Administration (Belastingdienst), the Employee Insurance Agency (UWV) and the Department of Public Works (Rijkswaterstaat) to the CBR, the Social Insurance Bank (SVB), and the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce KVK. Public service providers are in daily contact with members of the public and businesses. They are the face of the government, have direct contact with all sections of the population, and see how policy plays out in practice. As a result, they know what is going on and are aware of the practical possibilities and limitations – and which plans are feasible and which are not.

IR

The IR, the Inspectieraad (Inspectorate Council) is the collaborative body comprising the 13 government inspectorates. As supervising authorities, they monitor compliance with and the implementation of laws and other regulations by businesses, institutions, and the government itself, and assess whether these laws and regulations are working as intended in practice. As inspectorates, they are at the heart of society and the day-to-day implementation of policy, and also act as the eyes and ears of and for society.

Letter to Prime Minister-to-be Jetten (in Dutch)