Dutch news in brief, 7 February 2006

SP seeks debate on pay slips

The Socialist Party (SP) has sought an emergency debate on the impact new government measures that came into force in January are having on pay packets. Many people are financially worse off due to the new healthcare system and other changes, the SP said. Data collected by an information desk set up by the SP indicates the groups hit the hardest are people on social welfare, civil servants, families with one and a half times the average income, pensioners and families with children aged just above 18. These groups are EUR 50 to EUR 200 worse off every month and should be compensated, the party claims.

Demuynck in driving seat at car dealer

Former KPN board member Guy Demuynck takes over as chairman of the board at car dealer Kroymans Corporation in Naarden on 1 July this year. The Belgian has led the mobile phone division at KPN for three years. Kroymans Corporation is an international import, marketing, sale and distribution company for the car industry. It sells luxury cars such as Ferrari and Jaguar in the Netherlands. The company also sells Cadillacs in Europe. The company is owned by Frits Kroymans and has 70 sales points in Europe. It had a turnover of EUR 2.2 billion last year.

Huge cocaine seizure in Rotterdam

Customs officers intercepted 1,780 kilos of cocaine in Rotterdam Harbour last month. A sniffer dog detected the drugs in an industrial boiler that had arrived on a ship from Curaçao. The police estimate the haul has a street value of EUR 70 million. Six men were arrested in connection with the case at the weekend.

No travel warning for Muslim countries

Dutch Foreign Minister Ben Bot is not issuing negative travel advice for countries where there has been violence because of the Danish caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed. Bot said Dutch interests had not been attacked so far. Angry Muslims have attacked and burned Danish and Norwegian embassies in Syria and Lebanon. The minister said he did not support the European Commission’s proposal for a code of conduct for the media on reporting religion.

Dutch return paintings stolen by Nazis

The Dutch State is to return 202 paintings to the heirs of Jacques Goudstikker (1897-1940), Minister for Culture Medy van der Laan said on Monday. The works belonged to Goudstikker, a Jewish art dealer, who died in 1940 while fleeing the Nazis. His collection fell into the hands of the Germans and was taken over by the Dutch State following the Liberation. Forty other works claimed by his family are not being returned as it is considered unlikely they belonged to Goudstikker at the time of his death.

Primary schools begin Cito exams

An estimated 162,000 pupils from 6,400 primary schools began three-days of final exams (Citotoets) on Tuesday. Like last year 85 percent of primary schools in the Netherlands are participating in the exam that is designed to assist parents, teachers and students decide the most appropriate form of secondary education. The results will be sent to schools in early March.

New orange post-box presented

Midshipmen presented the first orange TNT-Post post-box in the naval city of Den Helder on Monday. TNT is replacing all traditional red boxes with the new orange type in the coming years. Postal and logistics company TPG will operate all its services under the TNT name from next year. Orange is TNT’s brand colour.

Subject: Dutch news