PPP: Added value during crisis times is extra important

“Especially in these times plagued by the Coronavirus, it is extra important to demonstrate your added value as an industry association and to stand up for your members and the industry”, says Joop van Veelen, chairman of the Platform Promotional Products/Netherlands. He explains: “PPP is currently investing a lot of time and energy in lobbying activities and demands attention for the delicate subjects/bottlenecks that affect our industry. Because even though the crisis affects every individual and all companies in the Netherlands and beyond, our industry may be hit even harder and the call for extra support from the government is therefore justified. This means that you have to make your voice heard in The Hague, the political center of our country. We do this fully and jointly with the interest organization ONL Ondernemend Nederland. This organization stands up for the interests of all entrepreneurs in our country.

PPP is a partner of ONL and often acts together to draw attention to the problems that exist. This approach is paying off. For example, we have jointly managed to broaden the tax options for companies to give employees extra remuneration. This is a good signal for our industry, especially at the end of the year when a large part of the labor force will receive the traditional end-of-year gift from their employers. The amendment of this so-called Work Cost Scheme – for which ONL and PPP have jointly fought – has created more financial spending space for this, which is beneficial. It is just one of the examples that shows that lobbying by joining forces with good partners pays off.

It is important that our members provide us with input and come up with topics to put on the political agenda and to discuss this with ministers who make the decisions. We get enough ammunition to do so from our members. Thanks to our collaboration with ONL, we are able to make our voices heard in The Hague. That is an important added value that PPP as an industry association – in addition to being there for and listening to its members – offers in these uncertain times.” www.ppp-online.nl