General – Boskalis
Boskalis may leave the Netherlands, said company CEO, Peter Berdowski, on the Dutch radio that the chance for this scenario is very real.
The main topic of the recent radio debate was a new law on corporate social responsibility.
In an interview with FD earlier this week, he also confirmed that “it would be impossible for him to do business in the Netherlands once the new law comes into force.”
According to Berdowski, it is his managerial responsibility to always think about the best place for the company. “That has been the Netherlands for the past 110 years, but that is not self-evident. We are now taking that seriously.”
The decision has not yet been made, but the CEO of the Dutch ompany is not positive on this situation.
The obligation of companies to go green is difficult for Boskalis, said Berdowski, who also pointed out that there are no alternatives to fossil fuels for vessels yet.
Berdowski also said that Boskalis has many projects in different countries and “at any time, it can be tested in court whether we are allowed to carry out a project and then we can look at human rights or CO2 emissions or nature conservation.”
He believes that Boskalis’ legal position is becoming too uncertain.
On top of that, they don’t answer the phone in political The Hague. Berdowski: “People don’t want to talk to us. The minister in charge doesn’t. The prime minister doesn’t.”
“I think the WOO (Open Government Act, ed.) did play a role in that. When a minister talks one-on-one with a CEO of the business community, it raises questions. Sometimes even Parliamentary questions. I think that’s where a big part of the problem lies.”
