Employers, mobility orgs. call for 2% of GDP investment in infrastructure per year

Thursday, 20 August 2026 - 11:10

A massive alliance of logistics organizations, employers, provinces, municipalities, construction companies, mobility clubs, and transporters is urging the Cabinet to invest more in infrastructure. According to them, an infrastructure crisis is looming that would put pressure on accessibility, economic growth, housing construction, safety, and prosperity, De Telegraaf reports.

Chairwoman Marga de Jager of the Mobility Alliance would like to see 2 percent of the gross domestic product allocated to infrastructure annually, “as we established with Defense,” she told the newspaper on behalf of the alliance. That’s the only way to catch up on the maintenance backlog and improve infrastructure for the growing population.

Figures from the Cabinet and Court of Audit show that the deficit for the maintenance and renewal of infrastructure projects up to and including 2038 is over €34 billion. A further €20 billion is needed for the railway and approximately €30 billion for development projects, including restarting projects that were paused in the past.

“Backlog maintenance leads to emergency measures, higher repair costs, delays for passengers and freight transport, and risks to safety and accessibility,” De Jager said in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Rob Jetten and Finance Minister Eelco Heinen.

The alliance demands structural solutions, including legally stipulating a proper budget for infrastructure. “Infrastructure enables housing construction, strengthens our economy and our business climate, and contributes to our resilience, security, and broad prosperity. This affects the agenda of the entire Cabinet,” De Jager told the Telegraaf.

The letter bears eleven signatures from organizations including MKB-Nederland, VNO-NCW, the Interprovincial Consultative Body, Bouwend Nederland, the Amsterdam Transport Region, Techniek Nederland, the VNG, the Logistics Alliance, and the Mobility Alliance.