Finance Minister wants €350 million budget effort from Brussels

Finance Minister wants €350 million budget effort from Brussels
© Belga

The Brussels regional government should reduce spending by €350 million, according to Sven Gatz, Finance Minister for Brussels.

The region needs to balance its budget by 2024, Gatz was quoted by Le Soir as urging his colleagues in the regional government. “We must have succeeded in balancing our budget by the end of the legislature,” he stressed.

Two thirds of the €350 million in savings come from SmartMove. When drawing up its budget last year, the Government of Brussels had banked on €250 million in annual earnings from the smart kilometre tax.

"We shall remove it as a precaution," Gatz said. “This is also a sign, proof of our federal loyalty. We shall wait for the results of the discussions between the various bodies. The rest of the effort comes mainly from indexation and social accords."

The Flemish liberal also proposes to spread investments over time.

In Brussels, the main investment sectors are housing and mobility, including the building of Metro 3. “Some works have undergone natural delays,” the minister said. “These investments can be spread over time. If the annual budget is reduced by 10%, 90% is still left, and that’s still a lot of money! And it will not have an impact on the projects.”

The Brussels Times


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