Government plans to cut a fifth of civil service full-time positions in coming years
The cabinet intends to eliminate roughly one-fifth of full-time civil service jobs, focusing especially on execution agencies, as part of a broader cost-saving drive.
In a progress letter to the Tweede Kamer, State Secretary Eric van der Burg announced a programme to slash about one-fifth of full-time civil service positions, concentrating on execution organisations that deliver government policies. The move discards prior commitments to protect these bodies from budget cuts and aims for a "simpler, smarter, smaller" state. Savings will also come from reducing advisory committees, reforming the Open Government Act to lower staffing needs, and cutting at least five hundred regulations each year.
The cabinet will coordinate with groups such as VNO-NCW and MKB-Nederland to review rules, and will pursue joint procurement of services like ICT, catering and security. Certain sectors, including the armed forces and police, are exempt from the reductions.
Why it matters
The cuts will reshape the size and functioning of the Dutch civil service, affecting public services and employment.
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