On the proposal of Minister De Jager and State Secretary Weekers of Finance, the Cabinet has agreed to send the legislative proposal for a bank tax to the Lower House of Parliament.

The unrest in the euro zone, the declining growth of world trade and the lack of confidence on the financial markets result in disappointing economic prospects.

'We have fallen on hard times with the euro.

The Netherlands welcomes and adopts the outcome of the EU stress test.

In spite of large financial setbacks, in particular in healthcare, the Cabinet has succeeded in not letting increase the total expenditure in 2011.

AEGON repaid another part of the financial aid it received from the State at the end of 2008.

In February the Ministry of Finance has published guidelines for the implementation of legal obligations concerning the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing.

Finance Minister Jan Kees de Jager received a delegation from the ICBC, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, on the basis of its market value the largest bank in the world.

The State has attached a claim of Ageas (previously Fortis) for shares in ABN AMRO Bank

According to the Autumn Memorandum of Minister of Finance De Jager, which was presented to the Lower House today, the EMU balance in 2010 is expected to be a debt of 5.8 per cent of GDP (gross domestic product).