The Province of South Holland has succeeded in significantly improving its realization capacity in 2024. The province saw that its budget and expenditures were closer together than in 2023. The deviation between the budget and the annual accounts is expressed as a percentage of 4.3%. Therefore, we can speak of a realization capacity of 95.7%.

And we are proud of that, says deputy Mariëtte van Leeuwen (Finance). It shows that we are better able to budget realistically, thus estimating what is needed to realize our ambitions in a year.

In 2024 we spent € 931.5 million. Especially large-scale maintenance of provincial (shipping) roads and public transport for a well-connected South Holland ensured that the realization capacity ultimately stood at 95.7%. In 2023 this was 94%.

In 2024 our revenues were just over € 1 billion and more money was retained - € 70.4 million - than in 2023 (€ 36.2 million). We received more money than we knew or could estimate beforehand. Think of windfalls and one-off payments from the national government in the autumn, for example. The motor vehicle tax also generated more money. This is mainly because cars are becoming heavier: for heavy cars, owners have to pay more. The money from the motor vehicle tax is almost equal to the money we spend on major maintenance of roads, bridges, and waterways.

Much Achieved

In 2024 we accomplished a lot. The Corbulo Tunnel between Leiden and Voorschoten opened. The Spatial Proposal was approved by the Provincial States, and thanks to € 23.9 million in subsidies, we contributed to the delivery of over 18,000 homes, allowing more people to find a good home. We launched the Spatial Economic Vision, in which we guide a future-proof economy. We also started with the RES roadmap (regional energy strategy) and are working with our energy regions and the energy council on a clean, robust, and reliable energy system with energy from our own neighborhood. Furthermore, an initial step was taken for the Agricultural Course, which is widely supported by area partners and aligns with initiatives from the rural area to tackle the challenges together. A contribution to the transition to a CO2-emission-free and circular industry was achieved thanks to energy innovation studies, support for 17 innovation projects via the Just Transition Fund, and enabling the construction of the Botlek steam network. And we improved our subsidy rules: these are now clearer, simpler, and easier to find.

Working on Fruitful Collaborations

We also made progress in the collaboration between the province and municipalities. With Lansingerland, for example, an agreement was reached on housing, business parks, and energy. The goal is to build about 5,000 homes, find a good location for wind turbines, and maintain sufficient business parks.

Concerns About Municipal Finances

The province is also a financial supervisor of municipalities. In 2024, the province found that most municipalities had difficulty establishing a structurally balanced budget for 2025. Cuts were made to expenditures, local taxes were raised, and reserves were used. The tasks of municipalities and the money they receive from the national government are no longer in balance, according to the province. As a province, we continue to share our concerns about this with the national government and urge a better balance between tasks and resources.

Tightness in the Labor Market

We are proud of our results because we also noticed last year that it is not easy to realize our ambitions, says Van Leeuwen. As a province, we also face a tight labor market. As a result, the knowledge and effort we needed were not always immediately available. This sometimes caused delays. We noticed this within our own organization and with our partners in South Holland. Despite this tightness, we have managed to realize a large part of our plans.

Understandable Language Use

In the 2025 budget, we paid extra attention to simpler language use. With that, in these annual accounts (opens in a new window) we have made another step forward. Writing clearly is not always easy, but we are getting better at it, says Van Leeuwen. And this time we are adding something extra. With an infographic, we show at a glance how much money we received and how much we spent. It is important to communicate this information clearly, as it concerns our residents money.