ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on privatization and provides the introduction of market forces into the administration of collective public regulations. The announcement of privatization worked as a poison pill to the managers of the benefits agencies. The increasing demands being made on the social security system in the Netherlands had been a source of concern to politicians for some time. The period of transition also presents a major challenge to the Social Security Supervisory Board. The first Kok cabinet launched a large political project, focusing on the promotion of market forces, deregulation and the improvement of the quality of legislation, governmental authorities should be confined to their role as a nucleus; if possible, administrative tasks would become ancillary. In the coalition agreement reached by the second Kok cabinet in 1998, it was again explicitly indicated that forms of competition and market forces had to be introduced into the administration of duties with regard to social insurance schemes.
