The President of the Belgian Workers' Party (PTB-PVDA) has called for 0% VAT on food and lashed out at parties on both the right and left for doing nothing over the past thirty years to close tax loopholes for the ultra-rich.
"Almost 15% increase [in prices] in one year…. It's not possible to pay more and more for fruit, pasta, rice or vegetables," Raoul Hedebouw said on Saturday.
The 46-year-old party leader added the prices of all foods are soaring while "the profits of agribusiness multinationals are exploding". He also criticised the government for failing to freeze prices for essential food items.
Related News
- Belgium's budget deficit to reach €30 billion by 2024
- Food prices in Belgium remain high, but trend is 'in line with neighbouring countries'
According to Hedebouw, a cut in VAT to 0% on all food products would save Belgians up to €15 every time they go shopping. To finance such a measure, he recommended doing away with tax loopholes "that allow the super-rich to line their pockets without paying tax".
Hedebouw also drew attention to the fact that Belgium's tax exemption for capital gains on shares alone costs the state up to €4 billion each year.
"Those who call themselves left-wing in government have forgotten to mention that the exemption for capital gains on shares was decided in 1991 by a government with the socialist parties, PS and Vooruit, with the CD&V and the Engagés, and that they have been in government almost uninterruptedly for 30 years," he noted.
