In the run-up to the elections for the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer), HOGIAF is organising meetings with parliamentary candidates from various political parties. In Hengelo, HOGIAF Twente, in cooperation with Stichting Ebru, organised a meeting with Erik Ziengs (Member of the House of Representatives for the VVD) and Roel Kok (Hengelo councillor for the VVD).
Local politics After an introduction by and from the organisers, in which Ahmet Taskan (HOGIAF chairman) and Ergun Corekci (chairman of Stichting Ebru) informed those present about their organisations, objectives, ambitions and activities, Roel Kok took the floor.
Roel Kok is a councillor in Hengelo for the VVD and updated the entrepreneurs on the latest developments in Hengelo relating to entrepreneurship. He also invited the entrepreneurs present to get in closer contact with one another, so that entrepreneurs' challenges can be better heard at Hengelo municipality.
The VVD is there for entrepreneurs Erik Ziengs, Member of the House of Representatives for the VVD and a candidate for the coming elections, began his address by stating that the VVD is above all a party of entrepreneurs that takes entrepreneurs' challenges seriously.
The VVD favours a small government that should concern itself with improving basic provisions in areas such as safety, education and infrastructure in general. Mr Ziengs observes, however, that governments increasingly go beyond these areas and distort free market competition. One example is setting up and running a security company.
Amended public procurement act The MP then said that he knows HOGIAF well and that in 2012, in connection with the public procurement act, he visited all HOGIAF branches in order to gather entrepreneurs' concerns and wishes. Thanks to the amended public procurement act, tenders are now also accessible to SMEs, regardless of the entrepreneurs' cultural background.
During the conversation with the entrepreneurs, Erik Ziengs touched on the points below, after which people continued talking over coffee, tea and snacks:
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It should be possible to combine functions in order to stimulate innovation. Clinging rigidly to concepts from decades ago does not always do justice to today's consumer wishes;
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Vacancy in shopping areas must be countered. Provinces in particular have a role to play here. Before a shopping area is expanded, the consequences of the expansion for the existing shopping area should be examined;
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SMEs should be the yardstick for legislation. Legislation should be tested through SMEs in order to experience its effects;
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SMEs with up to 25 employees should have to continue paying wages during illness for a maximum of 1 year;
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The Work and Security Act (Wet Werk en Zekerheid) in its current form should be amended so that employers can dismiss their employees more easily when there is no other option.. The VVD also favours the option of extending contracts 5 times by 1 year. The current legislation is currently having a negative effect on both employers and employees;
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The VVD believes that the legislation on the self-employed (zzp'ers) is currently inadequate and that new and improved legislation should be introduced by 1 January 2018 at the latest;
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To stimulate entrepreneurship, the VVD would rather create more partnerships between businesses, governments and educational institutions than introduce tax measures;
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Developments abroad, including in Turkey, and their effects on Dutch society are a concern for the VVD and are being followed closely.
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