The City of Charleroi will not, after all, appeal against the Walloon Government's decision to reject the municipal tax – amounting to €3 per passenger – that the city had intended to impose on Charleroi Airport (BSCA).
At the end of last year, the city of Charleroi announced that it planned to introduce a €3 tax on every passenger departing from Charleroi Airport from 2026. The city aimed to raise about €15 million a year.
The decision led to much criticism from politicians, airlines, the airport and passengers. The Walloon Government called the proposal "pointless" and "a bad calculation" and rejected the tax, but it seemed as if Charleroi mayor Thomas Dermine (PS) would still push it through.
Now, however, Dermine and Walloon Minister for Local Authorities François Desquenes (Les Engagés) announced in a joint press release that the city of Charleroi would not appeal against the rejection after all.
The two said they "had agreed to work together to explore options that will enable the city of Charleroi to eventually return to a balanced budget."
A working group will seek "sustainable" solutions to alleviate the city’s financial difficulties, according to Dermine and Desquenes.
The city itself says the decision has been prompted by a recent positive development, namely the suspension of the reform of the Marshall Plan compensation mechanism.
