A'dam 'must cater better' to international firms

14 February 2006

AMSTERDAM — If Amsterdam wants to continue to be an attractive location for international business it has to make a decision about the future of Schiphol Airport, it was claimed on Tuesday.

The city also needs to respond faster to the needs of companies, senior figures from the business community and from universities said at an election lunch hosted by the local branch of the Labour Party (PvdA).

“Dare to choose. Should Schiphol compete on a world level or should it be a regional airport? Politicians must make this choice and it isn’t happening,” Jan de Groot, senior Vice President of KLM said.

Cisco director Coks Stoffer warned serious choices had to be made to maintain Amsterdam as an attractive location for international businesses.

“Ensure that you are attractive and invest in this. As an international business with foreign workers we have a need for a good living space, clear regulations and international accessibility. Invest in this,” said Stoffer.

Lodewijk Asscher, who will lead the Amsterdam branch of the PvdA into the local election on 7 March, outlined the party’s plans to stimulate the investment climate.

Asscher said the party wanted to invest more in education and improve accessibility. “Choose Schiphol as the most important airport and Lelystad to allow expansion. Charters to destinations such as Lesbos could also leave from Rotterdam,” he said.

Improving public transport would help stem the gridlock on the roads around Amsterdam. The business community, Asscher said, also wanted to see a more target-orientated local government.

He pointed to local authority in Rotterdam which recently presented a report on how far it had achieved its aims of making the port city more welcoming.

“We would love to be compared with Rotterdam, but within 100 days of the new executive council being formed we will have to review how far we have come,” Asscher said.

Subject: Dutch news

A’dam ‘must cater better’ to international firms