SP proposal leads to aid for Philippines from Dutch shipping firms
SP proposal leads to aid for Philippines from Dutch shipping firms
SP Member of Parliament Jasper van Dijk and party colleague and former MP Remi Poppe have welcomed an announcement that the Royal Union of Dutch Shippers (KVNR) will be making money and freight capacity available for transport of aid goods and materials for the rebuilding of the typhoon-hit Philippines.
Poppe and Van Dijk asked Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Lilianne Ploumen to meet with the KVNR to make these resources available. The Minister did just that. A considerable slice of the proceeds of the national appeal will be spent on transport costs, which this move will help reduce.
Dutch ships sail frequently to Asia, including the Philippines. On the outward journey they are often far from fully laden. These Dutch ships have many Filipino seamen, and the KVNR has close links with the Filipino seafaring school, the Palompon Institute of Technology. The SP welcomes the fact that Ploumen responded immediately to the SP’s request and made contact with the KVNR.