Former minister Sorgdrager gets up after five days at recovery operation surcharges

Minister of State Winnie Sorgdrager has already resigned after five days to the recovery operation Surcharges. The cabinet appointed the former D66 Minister last Wednesday as government commissioner, for the times dysfunctional cooperation Between the Ministry of Finance and the Foundation (equal) worthy of recovery (SGH) of Princess Laurentien to quickly pull.

But Sorgdrager has decided to return that assignment, so she has Monday per letter to State Secretary Sandra Palmen (Surcharges, NSC). She leaves because there have been doubts about her past as a state council at the Council of State. In that capacity, she would have dealt with several issues of allowance parents in 2014, in which the decision to withdraw and recover surcharges from parents and to reclaim.

The hard line of the Council of State played a role in the allowance scandal, because parents objected to decisions from the tax authorities were often wrong. In 2021, the council itself recognized That « a strict line » was applied for too long.

‘Possibly big risks’

Gert-Jan Segers, chairman of the Supervisory Board of SGH, called Palmen last Thursday with State Secretary to indicate that ‘possibly major risks’ are in the appointment of Sorgdrager, according to a letter van SGH who was shared with the House of Representatives on Monday.

Because of its past as a state council, according to the foundation, it would be ‘quite a task’ to convince affected parents that it can contribute to a ‘just outcome’ for victims. It could even become ‘unsafe’ for her, because some of them could be ‘perceived’ as a co-perpetrator of the surcharge scandal, writes the board of SGH in the letter that dates from last Friday. « The past has shown that this is by no means an unthinkable scenario. »

Sorgdrager acknowledges that she has ‘conformed to the then case law of the Council of State, in which a clear line was chosen’

In her own letter, Sorgdrager acknowledges that in the relevant cases she « conformed to the then case law of the Council of State, in which a tight line was chosen ». A suggestion of SGH to first talk to a delegation of parents and the State Secretary about whether she can win the trust of parents, Sorgdrager regards as a « false start » of her work. According to the former minister, that is not in the interest of the parents, which is why she returns her assignment.

State Secretary Palmen writes on Monday evening in one letter To regret her departure to the room, « but I respect her choice and have every understanding of that. » The cabinet is still considering the situation that has arisen.

Worry about upscaling

The relationship between the Ministry and SGH has been signed by conflict for weeks. The cabinet decided in March To give SGH a greater role in the recovery operation, after an advice from a committee led by former CDA MP Chris van Dam. Instead of five different routes from which parents could choose when determining their final damage, two routes should remain, including those of SGH. The cabinet wanted to « continue to use » on the method developed by Princess Laurentien.

On average, around twenty parents draw an SGH agreement a week, the ambition is 20,000 within two years.

Within the cabinet there were « worries » about the « upscaling of this route, » State Secretary Palmen wrote to the Chamber. The number of parents who are helped with compensation via SGH, has been strongly behind since the beginning With your own planning. On average, around twenty parents per week sign an agreement after completing the SGH route, while it is the ambition of the foundation to help 20,000 victims in compensation within two years.

Because SGH has received a government contract with the value of 100 million euros, and it becomes jointly responsible for the payment of billions in damage compensation, according to the cabinet it was’ necessary to strengthen ‘governance’ at SGH. According to An analysis of NautaDutilh law firmcommissioned by the ministry, was a « serious lack of Checks and Balances« . The two founders, Princess Laurentien and her right hand Gerd van Atten, would exert an » important, if not decisive « influence on decisions of the foundation, without bearing legal responsibility.

According to NautaDutilh, they were therefore « completely outside the framework of laws and regulations. » Moreover, the influence of the founders would hinder a successful implementation of SGH’s assignment. Nautadutilh advised Princess Laurentien and her co-founder to « complete » the activities of the foundation.

Extremely unsafe

The advice put the already troubled relationship between finance and the foundation under pressure. In an e-mail conversation that SGH published briefly on its own site and then deleted, Van Atten wrote to an involved top official that he felt « extremely unsafe » by the advice. In his eyes, the NautaDutilh report was « the personal damage to Laurentien and myself, and questioning our intentions and interests. » Only after written apologies would Princess Laurentien and he would like to have the ministry again.

State Secretary Palmen then entered into conversation with RVT chairman Gert-Jan Segers at the end of March, in an attempt to get the cold out of the sky. Palmen spoke afterwards of a « pleasant and constructive conversation », but last Wednesday she wrote That again « an impasse » was created « by a difference of opinion about the conditions needed for a successful performance, upscaling and settlement of the SGH route ».

To break through that impasse, she appointed Sorgdrager as a government commissioner, who would advise the cabinet on the way in which an « working and sustainable cooperation relationship » could arise between the ministry and SGH.

SGH was not happy with that decision. The foundation had just asked for an « independent mediator with stature », which could help with the elimination of ‘success blockages’ that SGH encounters. According to SGH, the appointment of Sorgdrager was correct can lead to further delay.

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