Dutch ambassador in New Delhi Bob Hiensch talks about the scope of bilateral trade in an interview with Huma Siddiqui. Excerpts:
How difficult is it to get visas for visiting The Netherlands?
To companies having business relations in the country and/or whose employees have a need to travel frequently to The Netherlands for business purposes, the embassy in New Delhi and the Consulate General in Mumbai offer a special facility called the Orange Carpet Visa Facility (OCVF). Companies have to get registered for the OCVF by writing to the consular departments. In principle, Indian companies that have a long-term business relationship with a company in the country, or an Indian company which has a subsidiary in country or vice-versa, are eligible. The benefits of the Orange Carpet Visa Facility are: no need for the applicant to apply for a visa in person, less documentation and a longer validity of the visa, up to three years.
What kind of tax incentives does your country offer to foreign investors?
Firms with R&D activities are eligible for tax incentives via the so-called WBSO (wage tax reduction). Additionally, companies can make use of the ?innovation box? (it is a subsidy provided by the Dutch government to boost investment), which can result in an effective tax rate of just 5% on their income from R&D-projects. And, finally, the expat tax ruling offers the possibility of 30% deduction of personal income for crucial expat employees for a maximum period of 10 years.