WILLEMSTAD - The Kingdom Council of Ministers is becoming more transparent. In response to the benefits affair, the Dutch government decided to provide more openness about the considerations that form the basis for policy.

The Council of Ministers meets on matters that concern the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands and that must be regulated by statute or general measures of government.

The Kingdom Council of Ministers is formed by the Dutch ministers and the ministers plenipotentiary of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. The Dutch Prime Minister is chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom.

Until recently, the Kingdom Council of Ministers was confidential, but at the suggestion of outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte, it was decided last week to be more transparent.

The agenda is subsequently adopted and published at the beginning of the meeting. The Council of Ministers is followed by a short list of decisions, which is expanded in the following month with summaries of the decisions taken.

The Kingdom Council of Ministers only takes decisions on matters that have been agreed in advance with the governments of Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. In principle, the council meets monthly, prior to the meeting of the Dutch Council of Ministers.