Such major budget cuts have been imposed on the government audit office Algemene Rekenkamer that there is a risk officials will not be able to do their job properly, according to the organisation’s annual report.

The same situation is facing other organisations charged with monitoring the impact of government policy, such as the Council of State advisory board and the national ombudsman, audit office president Arno Visser said.

This makes it more difficult to assess if taxpayers’ money is being spent properly, he told broadcaster NOS.

‘Over the past 15 years, for example, we have followed the billions of euros spent on the JSF jet fighter project,’ he told broadcaster NOS. ‘But when the next big project comes along, we will have to see if we can do the same thing.’ Sufficient counter-balance is key to keep the government on its toes, Visser said.

Job cuts at the office have led to 40 redundancies in the past year, following a €3m budget cut.