Outcomes

Parliament last week held the update MP Sarah Wescot-Williams had been pressing for since the budget 2025 debate earlier this year; a public briefing on the Country Reform Package and the work of the Temporary Work Organization. But while the government provided a lengthy update that, to be fair, showed some progress in some areas, the public still cannot answer basic questions about core issues such as poverty alleviation, tax reform, labour market and immigration, sustainable economic development, alternative energy, universal healthcare, climate and environment. Mind you, these reforms have been underway for going on 6 years.

The Prime Minister and the Department of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BAK) described the Country Package as long-term institutional reform, not relief, and gave useful process detail. What we did not get is the connection that allows people to judge progress or "feel" progress for that matter. Where are the priorities for 2025–2026, with costs and deadlines?. Which measures are on track, which are at risk, and why? What are the outcomes that citizens will feel in their bills, their pay slips, their business licenses, their doctor visits, their children’s classrooms?

Tax reform needs a concrete two-year plan. Poverty alleviation requires hard numbers. Labour and immigration need the same clarity. On sustainable development and energy, we are getting 33 million euros for the latter, what's the plan? On the former, the government would do well to present the regulatory and financing model that unlocks real investment. Where is the "umpfh" behind climate change and the environment? Universal healthcare must come with a funding design. State the contribution levels and especially the guaranteed benefits. Let the public know clear options and trade-offs.

To her credit, MP Wescot-Williams asked for documents. She wanted the studies, the financial plans, the status per measure, the priorities urged by the Netherlands, and the Government’s own. She summed up her request: “𝘐𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦-𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮?" The Prime Minister committed to deliver answers and attachments by November 21.

MP Wescot-Williams appear to want a clear, time-bound list of priorities with measurable outcomes, as do, we suspect, the community at large. Until that happens, the promise of reform will continue to evade the public’s most basic question: when will we see outcomes.

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