Defence Minister Hennis announced on Saturday 19 March 2016 a plan to increase the defence budget by 2 billion euros a year
An excellent plan by Minister Jeanine Hennis to want to increase the budget by 2 billion euros structurally on an annual basis in the next cabinet period. Good for improving the security of our country, our allies in NATO and the European Union and for the international rule of law.
Such an increase also has positive effects for the technology sector in the Netherlands. At the targeted 20% investment ratio, it leads to an additional €400 million a year for equipment investments. In turn, those investments lead to extra activities in the companies where engineers are active - a nice boost for advanced technology with safety as its main goal.
Let us realise, however, that it is not all going to change very quickly. The plan is meant for the next cabinet period. Not for the 2017 budget. If this plan by Minister Hennis is made policy by the next cabinet, the Defence budget will be increased incrementally. For the first time in 2018, the investment budget could then be 100 million higher.
If the plan succeeds, it will be very good for the security of the Netherlands and especially for the armed forces plagued by huge deficits. It also lays a new foundation for defence and security technology, for high-quality engineering work and for economic return on investment in the Dutch technology sector.
In this month's Marine Journal, under the title "A Delta Plan for Defence", there is an extensive article on the subject, which I would like to refer you to.
Jan Wind, chairman KIVI DV
Photo © ANP historical archive (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
