During the AGM held on Wednesday May 14 the Chamber's Policy Committee presented the 2014 Investors' Agenda of Priority Points - AmCham's policy suggestions to the Netherlands' government to improve the investment climate. The lead items of the Priority Points are:
Closing the Skills Gap: A Coordinated and Strategic Approach for Future Needs
1. Align and invest in education, talents and skills.
2. Implement a strategic EU approach to scarce human resources.
Stimulate Workforce Flexibility and Participation
1. Increase flexibility and agility in the labor market by easing employment protection legislation for both regular and flexible contracts.
2. Reorientation of career and future: Remotion – a lateral step of step back is a step forward.
Improve Industry Competitiveness
1. Help the EU to keep the EU and the Netherlands competitive.
2. Avoid national gold plating.
3. Give industry targets, not detailed subscriptions.
4. Closely monitor data privacy developments
Taxation: Vision with Ambition for an Attractive Fiscal Investment Climate
1. Stability, consistency, predictability and simplicity of the tax legislation.
2. OECD’s Base Erosion & Profit Shifting discussion on a basis of multilateral consensus and unanimity.
3. Abolish dividend withholding tax for treaty residents with qualifying interests.
4. Unrestricted tax loss carry-forward
Each heading is expanded upon and specific policy measures are pointed to.
Read the full version of the 2014 Priority Points: English / Dutch.
The 2014 Priority Points were officially presented to the Minister of Economic Affairs Henk Kamp on May 20, 2014 by Peter Mous (IBM), Chairman of the Policy Committee and AmCham's Executive Director Patrick Mikkelsen. The Priority Points were also sent to the Cabinet, Members of Parliament and other stakeholders.