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SP joins SMEs in saying: “The Netherlands must become SME-friendly”

19 March 2012

SP joins SMEs in saying: “The Netherlands must become SME-friendly”

The Dutch economy is driven by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) but laws and regulations are almost all designed to favour big corporations. That’s why the SP and the group for small and medium-sized businesses, MKB-Nederland, are in favour of applying an ‘SME test’ to all new laws and regulations. This was the conclusion of the special Day for SMEs organised today in Utrecht by the SP and MKB-Nederland. SP leader Emile Roemer told the gathering that ‘in recent years what we’ve mostly heard when it comes to the economy is “big, bigger, biggest”. We are arguing for more attention to be paid to small businesses. New laws must from now on be SME-friendly.’

Dennis de Jong (right) talking with business people at the Day for SMEs
Dennis de Jong (right) talking with business people at the Day for SMEs

The proposal to introduce an SME test in the Netherlands came from Hans Biesheuvel, Chair of MKB-Nederland. Commenting on the proposal, SP Member of Parliament Sharon Gesthuizen said ‘I want to see new legislation come through the SME test and will look with MKB-Nederland into how we can make effective proposals for this.’ An SME test was introduced last year by the European Parliament, acting on a proposal from SP Euro-MP Dennis de Jong.

The Day for SMEs provided the occasion for taking an extended look at the current problems experienced by small and medium-sized firms, which include financial difficulties and being swindled by people presenting false bills, as Dennis de Jong explains: ‘A businessman or businesswoman often has no time to devote to detecting false bills. Such swindles are becoming more common throughout Europe and so we need cooperation at European level to tackle these criminals. In the Netherlands a helpline proved effective and I’d like to see this in other member states.’

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