The bureau is a public research institute with an advisory role to government. Other top officials and bankers due to appear before the committee include Finance Minister Wouter Bos, Dutch central bank president DNB Nout Wellink, and former finance minister and current chief executive of ABN Amro bank Gerrit Zalm. The eight-member committee chaired by the Socialist Party's Jan de Wit is to investigate any structural weaknesses of the Netherlands' financial sector, and to assess the measures taken by government after the crisis erupted in late 2008.
The investigation specifically plans to dissect the government's nationalisation of the local divisions of Dutch-Belgian bank and insurance giant Fortis NV/ABN Amro and the repeated financial support given to ING Bank, Aegon and SNS Reaal. Other issues under examination are the ongoing bonus culture among Dutch banks and the central bank's handling of the collapse of Iceland's Icesave bank, which had a local branch in the Netherlands.
The investigation is not set to be a full-fledged parliamentary inquiry, meaning that the hearings would not be under oath. The committee is to file its first report in April. Maurice Lippens, chairman of former Belgium-Dutch bank and insurance giant Fortis NV until September 28, 2008, has refused to appear before the committee, as has Iceland's financial watchdog.