The Flemish government does not intend to make the extra budget cuts the Superior Finance Court (Conseil Supérieur de Finances, CSF) asked for in its most recent report, the Flemish President-Minister Geert Bourgeois told the “De Zevende Dag” (VRT) on Sunday. Flanders was asked to make savings totalling 1.3 billion euros over the next few years.
“We will not save at the expense of investments”, said Mr Bourgeois. It was the first time he gave the figure of 1.3 billion.
The Flemish government has been planning to balance the budget by 2017 for a long time. “We will do more in 2017, but not what the CSF thinks we should. I don’t think that would be right. The CSF drew up a plan for us last year”, the New Flemish Alliance boss said.
In his eyes, the CSF is penalising those who do well. “It said: Flanders has done well but must do more, whereas Brussels and Wallonia haven’t done as well but must do less”, says Geert Bourgeois. “We can’t change the plan year on year. If all organisations in Belgium did was Flanders has done, the situation would be much better”, he added.
The Concertation Committee met on Monday to discuss the CSF’s report.
(Source: Belga)
