Van Dijk was immediately confronted with financial re-evaluations upon taking office. He managed to maintain the one-and-a-half percent target with difficulty, but he had to agree to an artificial increase in the resources annually allocated to the development aid budget. Van Dijk furthermore intensified contacts with the business community.
Like De Koning, Van Dijk opted for a more business-like approach to development cooperation. Policy preparation was given a more structured form and the top of the civil service was also strengthened.
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