The government needs to look at “prosperity” much more broadly than the financial story that is currently the deciding factor, the Environment and Infrastructure Council (Rli) advises. “Ultimately, how prosperous we feel depends not just on our wallet, but also on other things. Think about adequate housing, security in our living environment, clean air, clean water, good education and good healthcare,” the advisory council explains.
“The different aspects of this large-scale prosperity are not currently going well in the Netherlands,” Rli points out. “There is increasing pressure on available space, on the quality of nature and on the environment. Solidarity in society is also under strain.
Make decisions differently
To improve this, the government needs to make decisions differently, the advice’s authors say. “If the government carefully and systematically considers the consequences for broad-based prosperity when taking policy measures, it can make better decisions,” they said. According to the council, this is not happening enough at the moment.
According to the institute, anyone who wants to promote “broad-based prosperity” must always look carefully at both the short and long term. It is also important to always think carefully about the consequences of measures “here and elsewhere in the world.” According to the advice, if the government really wants to do a good job, the non-financial aspects of prosperity in the national budget must also be considered.
Sizes
The council acknowledges that “this new way of working is not easy to implement.” However, there are concrete steps that the government can take. This starts with gathering information on “all the topics that are important for achieving broad-based prosperity.” This information must then be used “systematically and specifically.” Overall, according to Rli, “a major cultural change is needed.”
