Headlines October
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Power grid congestion only getting longer: 14,000 companies on waiting list
The number of businesses waiting for a higher-capacity electricity connection has increased significantly in just a few months. In April, there were 11,000 businesses. Now, 14,000 businesses are waiting for a connection. This is according to a letter from the caretaker government to the House of Representatives.Businesses and households increasingly need more electricity. Therefore, in addition to transformer substations and additional high-voltage cables, more heavy-duty power connections are needed . This creates a waiting list, and despite previous measures, it has not been possible to reduce it. The ministry is discussing additional measures. For example, consumers should be encouraged to switch their appliances on or off at different times than they're used to. Four different tariffs should also be introduced, with electricity being either more expensive or cheaper.
Flexible contracts
In April, Climate and Green Growth Minister Hermans allocated €9 billion to encourage businesses to use less electricity during peak demand periods. So far, businesses have barely adjusted their energy consumption during peak demand periods. The cabinet acknowledges that getting companies to use electricity at other times isn't working well: "Flexible contracts appear to be failing to gain traction," the letter to Parliament states. According to outgoing Minister Hermans, companies and grid operators still need to get used to this "new phenomenon."
Rewarding consumers
Hermans now also wants Dutch households and smaller businesses to better distribute their energy consumption throughout the day. "Besides smart devices, communication, and awareness, a key pillar is financially rewarding the use of electricity outside of peak hours," she writes. This financial incentive is supposed to take effect in 2028. Consumers would then face four price tiers, depending on the time of day. Ideally, consumers should be able to see whether electricity is more expensive or cheaper throughout the day, but for clarity, the grid operators are now proposing four prices. "This ensures that the grid tariff remains sufficiently understandable and effective to encourage efficient grid use," says Hermans. "The most important thing now is to implement this new tariff as quickly as possible, because financial incentives are essential for the new system to truly work."
Gas-fired power station
The caretaker government also says it can't do without gas-fired power plants for the time being. Due to the weather, the supply of solar and wind energy is constantly fluctuating. Energy generated in gas-fired power plants can be used when there's less green energy available. Hermans acknowledges that this goes against the climate ambition to phase out fossil fuels: "Fossil-based generation with gas is not a future-proof solution, but is currently necessary to create connections and keep the ongoing electrification going." The possibility of placing a heavier load on the existing energy grid than is currently the case is also being explored. This could lead to more frequent power outages. "We have to accept that risk," Hermans said today in De Telegraaf : "The question now is whether we're willing to make some concessions to create more capacity."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2585416-file-op-stroomnet-alleen-maar-langer-14-000-bedrijven-op-wachtlijst
One in three hospitals financially unstable, concerns about personnel costs
More than a third of Dutch hospitals have a shaky financial foundation. This is evident from a report by the accounting firm BDO, which annually assesses the hospitals' financial health. Eighteen of the 59 hospitals received a failing grade. The report examines whether hospitals are able to generate sufficient revenue, control costs, and invest sufficiently in innovation. Staff costs are rising rapidly and will continue to rise. Investments in the building and in modernizing healthcare are insufficient. And this while the demand for healthcare is only increasing.
Optical restoration
Hospitals did score slightly better than last year, but healthcare costs were exceptionally high then, resulting in lower revenues. This year's 7.5 percent revenue increase follows a downward trend since 2018. Because revenue is rising less rapidly than costs, the bottom line is slim. The average profit margin remains below 2 percent. Eleven hospitals are making less than 1 percent profit, a critical threshold in BDO's view. BDO researcher Mike Tagage also emphasizes that the improvement compared to last year paints a distorted picture. He refers to it as an "optical recovery." Because interest rates are lower than last year, hospitals can borrow more cheaply. These lower borrowing costs leave them with slightly more money, but this is unrelated to the hospitals' performance.
Investments
Moreover, the figures look more promising than reality because there is little investment. If a hospital doesn't invest, it cuts costs, even though these investments are necessary to modernize hospitals.
"If investments are made, it's often for replacement costs. If something breaks, it's still bought new," Tagage explains, "But investments in the future often fail to materialize." According to BDO, 39 of the 59 are dealing with outdated real estate, but investments in AI, IT, and smart data usage are also lagging behind, despite the government's high expectations. The limited turnover and low investments are also creating a distrustful attitude among banks, Tagage warns. "Delayed investments make attracting new financing more difficult because the value of, for example, real estate decreases."
Staff
BDO is even more concerned about rising personnel costs. Healthcare staff wages (including those of medical specialists) account for the vast majority of revenue, at 61 percent. This percentage has been rising for years. Salaried hospital staff, in particular, saw their wages rise sharply, by almost 9 percent. Independent medical specialists also saw a significant increase, by almost 7 percent. Only the hiring of freelancers required less funding. The government aims to reduce the number of freelancers, including in healthcare, by introducing a law against bogus self-employment. BDO calls the so-called wage ratio, the portion of revenue spent on salaries, "unsustainable." According to researcher Mike Tagage, there's no reason to believe that healthcare costs will decrease in the long term.
Political instability
Dutch healthcare institutions are making agreements with each other and the government on how to limit healthcare costs. BDO is concerned about the development and implementation of these healthcare agreements. An unstable government is not conducive to this. And yet, the demand for healthcare is only increasing, says BDO. "The need for hospitals to collaborate with the government, financiers, healthcare providers, industry organizations, and professionals to find sustainable solutions is therefore becoming increasingly urgent." Finally, BDO says hospitals need to prepare for the discussion about how additional defense spending will be financed. Some political parties believe healthcare spending should be critically reviewed to free up funds for defense.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2585556-een-op-de-drie-ziekenhuizen-financieel-wankel-zorgen-over-personeelskosten
GP emergency centres lack adequate information security
A large number of GP emergency services do not have adequate information security, according to research by the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ). The research examined all 49 organisations in the Netherlands that provide GP emergency care. These organisations provide GP care during evening, night and weekend hours via a GP emergency service (HAP). The IGJ wanted to know how many of the 49 organisations work in accordance with the legally required NEN 7510 standard. Forty-three organisations did not yet fully comply with this standard. Healthcare providers have been legally required to work on information security for years. NEN 7510 is the standard for information security in healthcare in the Netherlands. It specifies how healthcare organisations must organise their information security.
Only six of the 49 organisations investigated were able to demonstrate compliance with NEN 7510 by means of a certificate. The IGJ says that there is awareness of the issue of information security at GP emergency centres. For example, most organisations that provide GP emergency care have taken various measures, such as setting up multi-factor authentication and training employees in information security. Of the 43 organisations that are not yet certified as complying with NEN 7510, nine have had an independent assessment carried out to see where they stand in relation to the standard. According to the IGJ, these assessments were often based on documentation and policy documents and not yet on the actual functioning of information security in practice. That is why these organisations do not yet comply with the standard. Some of the organisations that do not comply with the standard want to do so this year.
The inspectorate has asked additional questions of the organisations that do not yet work in accordance with the standard. The inspectorate has made agreements with all organisations that did not yet comply. For example, about a clear target date and having an expert, independent assessment carried out. The inspectorate also requests improvement plans and monitors progress. Since the investigation, all organisations that did not yet comply have taken measures, according to the inspectorate. It expects all organisations to demonstrably comply with the NEN 7510 standard by the end of 2026 at the latest.
Source: https://www.security.nl/posting/908976/Huisartsenspoedposten+hebben+informatiebeveiliging+niet+op+orde?channel=twitter
Government intervenes at chip manufacturer Nexperia, what is going on?
The Netherlands is intervening at chip manufacturer Nexperia with far-reaching measures against Chinese influence at the company. The risk of crucial technology leaking out of the Netherlands was too great, says the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Why does the Netherlands suddenly want to protect this chip company? Five questions about Nexperia.
What does Nexperia do?
The company is a spin-off of the Dutch chip company NXP, which originated within Philips. While NXP has continued to develop more complex computer chips, for example for contactless payments with your phone, Nexperia makes relatively simple chips for phones, cars and solar panels, among other things. In 2019, Nexperia was taken over in its entirety by the Chinese company Wingtech. The company has its headquarters in Nijmegen, but also has other branches in various countries.
What is going on?
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has intervened via the Goods Availability Act. The government can now block or reverse decisions within the company if they could be harmful to Dutch or European production. The use of this law is very exceptional. In fact, this is the first time it has been used since the law came into force in 1952. According to the ministry, this is an ‘emergency situation.’ If Nexperia were to become increasingly detached from the Netherlands and Europe, ‘crucial technological knowledge and capabilities’ would be lost. The ministry specifically mentions the importance for the European automotive industry and European consumer electronics. Of Nexperia's more than 2 billion euro turnover in 2024, more than half came from chips for cars. The intervention is therefore in line with European ambitions to protect its own manufacturing industry.
Why take this step now?
There is more at stake than protecting chips for cars. Wingtech's CEO, Zhang Xuezheng, was also a director at Nexperia. He was removed from his position by the Enterprise Chamber for ‘serious administrative shortcomings’ after having already been suspended. With this move, the Netherlands is showing the Chinese shareholder the door. Wingtech is partly owned by the Chinese state. CEO Xuezheng is said to have amassed a great deal of power within the company, according to a source speaking to the NOS. Wingtech has not responded to questions from the NOS. China has also said little, but claims that the United States always plays a role in actions of this kind. According to the Dutch government, this is not true. However, Wingtech was placed on an American “blacklist” at the end of last year. Since then, a special licence has been required to sell certain American technology to companies on this list.
Minister: “Crucial company ordered to maintain chip production”
Outgoing Minister of Economic Affairs Karremans says he did not take the decision to invoke the Goods Availability Act for the first time in history “lightly”. Speaking to the NOS, he described chipmaker Nexperia as “a very important company that is a key supplier to the European automotive industry, consumer electronics and defence”. 'I recently received serious and urgent signals that there are serious shortcomings at the company that could jeopardise security of supply. That would have major consequences for the European and Dutch economies. Based on the signals I received, I felt I had no choice but to intervene using this law.' Karremans states that, with the 1952 law in hand, he has ‘ordered’ Nexperia to maintain chip production. ‘They make chips in Nijmegen. We have said: you must continue to do so. There is a penalty if they do anything that could harm production.’ Karremans denies that the move is directed against China: ‘This is directed against the company.’
What does Nexperia have to offer China?
These are simple chips that China also manufactures itself. Nevertheless, these simple chips could be of interest to China, says Maaike Okano-Heijmans of Clingendael, who specialises in the technological side of geopolitics. ‘It's mainly because of the wide range of applications for these chips. It's not just about solar panels, but also cars and robots that incorporate AI.’ Since 2022, the Delft-based start-up NOWI has also been part of Nexperia. This company can transfer energy wirelessly, enabling chips to recharge themselves. In 2023, questions were asked in the House of Commons about the takeover. The concerns mainly related to the risks of sabotage and applications for defence. MEP Bart Groothuis (VVD) has been concerned about Chinese influence on European companies for years. He calls this acquisition ‘a major blunder that should never have happened’. He warns of the possibility of this knowledge being used for military purposes, for example for drones. Maaike Okano-Heijmans of Clingendael says that the approval for the takeover of NOWI ‘did not make sense even then. Ideally, this should have happened earlier because it can be used for robots that incorporate AI.’
What will happen now?
Now that the Chinese CEO has left, the court will appoint an independent director who will be authorised to make decisions. All but one of the shares have also been transferred to an administrator appointed by the court. It is not yet clear who owns that one share. The parties involved can appeal against the application of this law in court. The company's regular production process can continue. MEP Groothuis hopes that the company will now come under full European ownership. The NOS also submitted these questions to Nexperia, but the company was not available for comment today.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2586358-overheid-grijpt-in-bij-chipfabrikant-nexperia-wat-is-er-aan-de-hand
Fewer trains in the Randstad due to a shortage of traffic controllers
Fewer or even no trains are running on several routes in the Randstad. ProRail is experiencing a shortage of traffic controllers today. This will last until at least 12:00 noon. This affects routes that run via Utrecht Central Station. Fewer Intercity trains are running to and from Leiden, Rotterdam, and The Hague. There are no trains on the Utrecht - Railway Museum route. Traffic controllers are essential for train traffic. They coordinate traffic and ensure its safe operation. ProRail told NOS that the autumn break and the absence of a sick colleague put extra pressure on the schedule this morning. ProRail emphasizes ensuring passenger safety. "We've decided to remove trains from the routes to reduce workload and, should an emergency occur, to be able to manage it," says a spokesperson. Another colleague has now been found willing to come to work. ProRail hopes that this will allow regular train service to resume in the afternoon.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2587241-minder-treinen-in-randstad-door-tekort-aan-verkeersleiders
Nationwide disruption at banks, some payments delayed
Direct payments in the Netherlands are being delayed due to a disruption. Salaries and other payments will therefore arrive later than usual. It is not yet clear how long the disruption will last. Several banks have confirmed to NU.nl that the disruption is at Worldline. This company plays an important role in the banks' payment chain. Worldline handles a large proportion of all electronic payments, such as online banking. All payments that are normally processed immediately are now delayed. Regular payments, which can sometimes take up to one working day before the money appears in an account, have also been delayed by the disruption. You can still use your debit card in shops. ‘Payments are now slowly starting up again,’ said a spokesperson for ABN AMRO. ‘But we don't yet know how long people will have to wait for their expected payments.’ It is unclear how long the disruption will last and how many payments are on hold. Worldline was unavailable for comment.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/economie/6373450/landelijke-storing-bij-banken-sommige-betalingen-vertraagd.html
The number of businesses waiting for a higher-capacity electricity connection has increased significantly in just a few months. In April, there were 11,000 businesses. Now, 14,000 businesses are waiting for a connection. This is according to a letter from the caretaker government to the House of Representatives.Businesses and households increasingly need more electricity. Therefore, in addition to transformer substations and additional high-voltage cables, more heavy-duty power connections are needed . This creates a waiting list, and despite previous measures, it has not been possible to reduce it. The ministry is discussing additional measures. For example, consumers should be encouraged to switch their appliances on or off at different times than they're used to. Four different tariffs should also be introduced, with electricity being either more expensive or cheaper.
Flexible contracts
In April, Climate and Green Growth Minister Hermans allocated €9 billion to encourage businesses to use less electricity during peak demand periods. So far, businesses have barely adjusted their energy consumption during peak demand periods. The cabinet acknowledges that getting companies to use electricity at other times isn't working well: "Flexible contracts appear to be failing to gain traction," the letter to Parliament states. According to outgoing Minister Hermans, companies and grid operators still need to get used to this "new phenomenon."
Rewarding consumers
Hermans now also wants Dutch households and smaller businesses to better distribute their energy consumption throughout the day. "Besides smart devices, communication, and awareness, a key pillar is financially rewarding the use of electricity outside of peak hours," she writes. This financial incentive is supposed to take effect in 2028. Consumers would then face four price tiers, depending on the time of day. Ideally, consumers should be able to see whether electricity is more expensive or cheaper throughout the day, but for clarity, the grid operators are now proposing four prices. "This ensures that the grid tariff remains sufficiently understandable and effective to encourage efficient grid use," says Hermans. "The most important thing now is to implement this new tariff as quickly as possible, because financial incentives are essential for the new system to truly work."
Gas-fired power station
The caretaker government also says it can't do without gas-fired power plants for the time being. Due to the weather, the supply of solar and wind energy is constantly fluctuating. Energy generated in gas-fired power plants can be used when there's less green energy available. Hermans acknowledges that this goes against the climate ambition to phase out fossil fuels: "Fossil-based generation with gas is not a future-proof solution, but is currently necessary to create connections and keep the ongoing electrification going." The possibility of placing a heavier load on the existing energy grid than is currently the case is also being explored. This could lead to more frequent power outages. "We have to accept that risk," Hermans said today in De Telegraaf : "The question now is whether we're willing to make some concessions to create more capacity."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2585416-file-op-stroomnet-alleen-maar-langer-14-000-bedrijven-op-wachtlijst
One in three hospitals financially unstable, concerns about personnel costs
More than a third of Dutch hospitals have a shaky financial foundation. This is evident from a report by the accounting firm BDO, which annually assesses the hospitals' financial health. Eighteen of the 59 hospitals received a failing grade. The report examines whether hospitals are able to generate sufficient revenue, control costs, and invest sufficiently in innovation. Staff costs are rising rapidly and will continue to rise. Investments in the building and in modernizing healthcare are insufficient. And this while the demand for healthcare is only increasing.
Optical restoration
Hospitals did score slightly better than last year, but healthcare costs were exceptionally high then, resulting in lower revenues. This year's 7.5 percent revenue increase follows a downward trend since 2018. Because revenue is rising less rapidly than costs, the bottom line is slim. The average profit margin remains below 2 percent. Eleven hospitals are making less than 1 percent profit, a critical threshold in BDO's view. BDO researcher Mike Tagage also emphasizes that the improvement compared to last year paints a distorted picture. He refers to it as an "optical recovery." Because interest rates are lower than last year, hospitals can borrow more cheaply. These lower borrowing costs leave them with slightly more money, but this is unrelated to the hospitals' performance.
Investments
Moreover, the figures look more promising than reality because there is little investment. If a hospital doesn't invest, it cuts costs, even though these investments are necessary to modernize hospitals.
"If investments are made, it's often for replacement costs. If something breaks, it's still bought new," Tagage explains, "But investments in the future often fail to materialize." According to BDO, 39 of the 59 are dealing with outdated real estate, but investments in AI, IT, and smart data usage are also lagging behind, despite the government's high expectations. The limited turnover and low investments are also creating a distrustful attitude among banks, Tagage warns. "Delayed investments make attracting new financing more difficult because the value of, for example, real estate decreases."
Staff
BDO is even more concerned about rising personnel costs. Healthcare staff wages (including those of medical specialists) account for the vast majority of revenue, at 61 percent. This percentage has been rising for years. Salaried hospital staff, in particular, saw their wages rise sharply, by almost 9 percent. Independent medical specialists also saw a significant increase, by almost 7 percent. Only the hiring of freelancers required less funding. The government aims to reduce the number of freelancers, including in healthcare, by introducing a law against bogus self-employment. BDO calls the so-called wage ratio, the portion of revenue spent on salaries, "unsustainable." According to researcher Mike Tagage, there's no reason to believe that healthcare costs will decrease in the long term.
Political instability
Dutch healthcare institutions are making agreements with each other and the government on how to limit healthcare costs. BDO is concerned about the development and implementation of these healthcare agreements. An unstable government is not conducive to this. And yet, the demand for healthcare is only increasing, says BDO. "The need for hospitals to collaborate with the government, financiers, healthcare providers, industry organizations, and professionals to find sustainable solutions is therefore becoming increasingly urgent." Finally, BDO says hospitals need to prepare for the discussion about how additional defense spending will be financed. Some political parties believe healthcare spending should be critically reviewed to free up funds for defense.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2585556-een-op-de-drie-ziekenhuizen-financieel-wankel-zorgen-over-personeelskosten
GP emergency centres lack adequate information security
A large number of GP emergency services do not have adequate information security, according to research by the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ). The research examined all 49 organisations in the Netherlands that provide GP emergency care. These organisations provide GP care during evening, night and weekend hours via a GP emergency service (HAP). The IGJ wanted to know how many of the 49 organisations work in accordance with the legally required NEN 7510 standard. Forty-three organisations did not yet fully comply with this standard. Healthcare providers have been legally required to work on information security for years. NEN 7510 is the standard for information security in healthcare in the Netherlands. It specifies how healthcare organisations must organise their information security.
Only six of the 49 organisations investigated were able to demonstrate compliance with NEN 7510 by means of a certificate. The IGJ says that there is awareness of the issue of information security at GP emergency centres. For example, most organisations that provide GP emergency care have taken various measures, such as setting up multi-factor authentication and training employees in information security. Of the 43 organisations that are not yet certified as complying with NEN 7510, nine have had an independent assessment carried out to see where they stand in relation to the standard. According to the IGJ, these assessments were often based on documentation and policy documents and not yet on the actual functioning of information security in practice. That is why these organisations do not yet comply with the standard. Some of the organisations that do not comply with the standard want to do so this year.
The inspectorate has asked additional questions of the organisations that do not yet work in accordance with the standard. The inspectorate has made agreements with all organisations that did not yet comply. For example, about a clear target date and having an expert, independent assessment carried out. The inspectorate also requests improvement plans and monitors progress. Since the investigation, all organisations that did not yet comply have taken measures, according to the inspectorate. It expects all organisations to demonstrably comply with the NEN 7510 standard by the end of 2026 at the latest.
Source: https://www.security.nl/posting/908976/Huisartsenspoedposten+hebben+informatiebeveiliging+niet+op+orde?channel=twitter
Government intervenes at chip manufacturer Nexperia, what is going on?
The Netherlands is intervening at chip manufacturer Nexperia with far-reaching measures against Chinese influence at the company. The risk of crucial technology leaking out of the Netherlands was too great, says the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Why does the Netherlands suddenly want to protect this chip company? Five questions about Nexperia.
What does Nexperia do?
The company is a spin-off of the Dutch chip company NXP, which originated within Philips. While NXP has continued to develop more complex computer chips, for example for contactless payments with your phone, Nexperia makes relatively simple chips for phones, cars and solar panels, among other things. In 2019, Nexperia was taken over in its entirety by the Chinese company Wingtech. The company has its headquarters in Nijmegen, but also has other branches in various countries.
What is going on?
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has intervened via the Goods Availability Act. The government can now block or reverse decisions within the company if they could be harmful to Dutch or European production. The use of this law is very exceptional. In fact, this is the first time it has been used since the law came into force in 1952. According to the ministry, this is an ‘emergency situation.’ If Nexperia were to become increasingly detached from the Netherlands and Europe, ‘crucial technological knowledge and capabilities’ would be lost. The ministry specifically mentions the importance for the European automotive industry and European consumer electronics. Of Nexperia's more than 2 billion euro turnover in 2024, more than half came from chips for cars. The intervention is therefore in line with European ambitions to protect its own manufacturing industry.
Why take this step now?
There is more at stake than protecting chips for cars. Wingtech's CEO, Zhang Xuezheng, was also a director at Nexperia. He was removed from his position by the Enterprise Chamber for ‘serious administrative shortcomings’ after having already been suspended. With this move, the Netherlands is showing the Chinese shareholder the door. Wingtech is partly owned by the Chinese state. CEO Xuezheng is said to have amassed a great deal of power within the company, according to a source speaking to the NOS. Wingtech has not responded to questions from the NOS. China has also said little, but claims that the United States always plays a role in actions of this kind. According to the Dutch government, this is not true. However, Wingtech was placed on an American “blacklist” at the end of last year. Since then, a special licence has been required to sell certain American technology to companies on this list.
Minister: “Crucial company ordered to maintain chip production”
Outgoing Minister of Economic Affairs Karremans says he did not take the decision to invoke the Goods Availability Act for the first time in history “lightly”. Speaking to the NOS, he described chipmaker Nexperia as “a very important company that is a key supplier to the European automotive industry, consumer electronics and defence”. 'I recently received serious and urgent signals that there are serious shortcomings at the company that could jeopardise security of supply. That would have major consequences for the European and Dutch economies. Based on the signals I received, I felt I had no choice but to intervene using this law.' Karremans states that, with the 1952 law in hand, he has ‘ordered’ Nexperia to maintain chip production. ‘They make chips in Nijmegen. We have said: you must continue to do so. There is a penalty if they do anything that could harm production.’ Karremans denies that the move is directed against China: ‘This is directed against the company.’
What does Nexperia have to offer China?
These are simple chips that China also manufactures itself. Nevertheless, these simple chips could be of interest to China, says Maaike Okano-Heijmans of Clingendael, who specialises in the technological side of geopolitics. ‘It's mainly because of the wide range of applications for these chips. It's not just about solar panels, but also cars and robots that incorporate AI.’ Since 2022, the Delft-based start-up NOWI has also been part of Nexperia. This company can transfer energy wirelessly, enabling chips to recharge themselves. In 2023, questions were asked in the House of Commons about the takeover. The concerns mainly related to the risks of sabotage and applications for defence. MEP Bart Groothuis (VVD) has been concerned about Chinese influence on European companies for years. He calls this acquisition ‘a major blunder that should never have happened’. He warns of the possibility of this knowledge being used for military purposes, for example for drones. Maaike Okano-Heijmans of Clingendael says that the approval for the takeover of NOWI ‘did not make sense even then. Ideally, this should have happened earlier because it can be used for robots that incorporate AI.’
What will happen now?
Now that the Chinese CEO has left, the court will appoint an independent director who will be authorised to make decisions. All but one of the shares have also been transferred to an administrator appointed by the court. It is not yet clear who owns that one share. The parties involved can appeal against the application of this law in court. The company's regular production process can continue. MEP Groothuis hopes that the company will now come under full European ownership. The NOS also submitted these questions to Nexperia, but the company was not available for comment today.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2586358-overheid-grijpt-in-bij-chipfabrikant-nexperia-wat-is-er-aan-de-hand
Fewer trains in the Randstad due to a shortage of traffic controllers
Fewer or even no trains are running on several routes in the Randstad. ProRail is experiencing a shortage of traffic controllers today. This will last until at least 12:00 noon. This affects routes that run via Utrecht Central Station. Fewer Intercity trains are running to and from Leiden, Rotterdam, and The Hague. There are no trains on the Utrecht - Railway Museum route. Traffic controllers are essential for train traffic. They coordinate traffic and ensure its safe operation. ProRail told NOS that the autumn break and the absence of a sick colleague put extra pressure on the schedule this morning. ProRail emphasizes ensuring passenger safety. "We've decided to remove trains from the routes to reduce workload and, should an emergency occur, to be able to manage it," says a spokesperson. Another colleague has now been found willing to come to work. ProRail hopes that this will allow regular train service to resume in the afternoon.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2587241-minder-treinen-in-randstad-door-tekort-aan-verkeersleiders
Nationwide disruption at banks, some payments delayed
Direct payments in the Netherlands are being delayed due to a disruption. Salaries and other payments will therefore arrive later than usual. It is not yet clear how long the disruption will last. Several banks have confirmed to NU.nl that the disruption is at Worldline. This company plays an important role in the banks' payment chain. Worldline handles a large proportion of all electronic payments, such as online banking. All payments that are normally processed immediately are now delayed. Regular payments, which can sometimes take up to one working day before the money appears in an account, have also been delayed by the disruption. You can still use your debit card in shops. ‘Payments are now slowly starting up again,’ said a spokesperson for ABN AMRO. ‘But we don't yet know how long people will have to wait for their expected payments.’ It is unclear how long the disruption will last and how many payments are on hold. Worldline was unavailable for comment.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/economie/6373450/landelijke-storing-bij-banken-sommige-betalingen-vertraagd.html
Translated Dutch to English with Google Translate