Wallonia-Brussels Federation: amendment to 2016 budget approved by a parliamentary commission

Wallonia-Brussels Federation: amendment to 2016 budget approved by a parliamentary commission

The budget commission of the Parliament of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation approved Thursday afternoon an adjustment to the 2016 budget of the entity, which shall be characterized by a deeper deficit, of close to 245 million euros, versus the 200 million euros initially estimated. Although the income of the Federation will this year be slightly higher than anticipated (by 33 million euros), new expenses have however put a strain on the budget, particularly due to having exceeded the pivot index in May, and because of expenses related to providing asylum to refugees and to the demographic boom at schools.      

This deviation from the budgetary plan complicates even more the return to a balanced budget forecast in theory by the Federation for 2018. The 2016 adjustment was approved Tuesday afternoon by the PS-cdH majority. The MR opposition voted against it.

The budget of the Federation is approximately 10 billion euros on an annual basis, with three-quarters serving to fund the education policy in the francophone part of the country. The 2016 adjusted budget should be approved at the plenary of the Parliament at its last session prior to the holidays; that is, on July 13th.

(Source: Belga)


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