With just a few days to go before the elections, BECI is continuing to defend businesses and is calling on the Brussels-Capital Region's political parties to take action.
For several months now, BECI has been making its voice heard to the Brussels political parties through its memorandum. The Brussels Chamber of Commerce and the Union of Enterprises in Brussels set out the major challenges facing the Brussels-Capital Region, and asked the Region's political parties to strengthen interdependent axes: employment, attractiveness, mobility and effective governance.
In the run-up to the elections on 9 June, BECI recalls one of its main missions: to make Brussels a dynamic and exemplary region. Above all, it stresses the importance of creating jobs and supporting businesses, while curbing a colossal debt running into billions of euros. The candidates for the Brussels Parliament respond to BECI.
Changes expected for Brussels
After organising electoral debates between the political parties, BECI is once again calling on them to address the socio-economic issues facing the Brussels-Capital Region, and has asked them a series of questions. Among them: ‘The BECI memorandum sets out a series of recommendations to support Brussels businesses. On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate the alignment of your programme with BECI's recommendations? To this question put by the Chamber of Commerce and the Union of Enterprises in Brussels, the answers are (more or less) unanimous.
CD&V: 8/10
‘In addition to companies and SMEs, CD&V believes that customised companies and integration organisations play an important role and add value to our labour market policy’ - Anton Schuurmans, 5th in the Brussels Parliament.
Défi: 9/10
‘The role of an entrepreneur is to keep his business going. We can no longer continue to increase the number of administrative procedures or, even worse, make them more complex. - Bernard Clerfayt, lead candidate.
Ecolo: 7/10
‘We share the desire to strengthen Brussels as the country's economic powerhouse’ - Zakia Khattabi, lead candidate.
Groen: 7/10
‘Entrepreneurs are the first victims of traffic jams, and modal shift is the solution. By developing and encouraging alternatives, there will once again be room for those who have no choice but to use a motor vehicle.’ - Elke Van den Brandt, lead candidate.
Les Engagés: 10/10
‘We advocate simplification and harmonisation of tax regulations, as well as greater transparency in public procurement. - Christophe De Beukelaer, lead candidate.
MR: 10/10
‘We are convinced that it is essential to give priority to training courses that lead directly to employment. - David Leisterh, lead candidate.
N-VA: 10/10
‘In a city like Brussels, where more than one child in four lives in a family where no one works, the issue of work must be given the attention it deserves. - Cieltje Van Achter, lead candidate.
PS: 7/10
‘Strong consensus on the objectives, but differences on the methods for achieving them. While BECI places a strong emphasis on reducing burdens and reducing regulation to stimulate economic activity, our programme can envisage a more measured approach, taking care to balance the need for deregulation with the need for social and environmental protection.’ - Ahmed Laaouej, lead candidate.
PVDA: 7,5/10
‘Our programme highlights almost all the needs and demands set out in the memorandum. However, (...) we will not solve the problems linked to bottlenecks in the professions without upgrading the professions themselves. Wages in healthcare and education, for example, must be increased. - Jan Busselen, lead candidate.
Voor U: 6/10
‘Debt reduction and a coherent, business-friendly tax system are Voor U's priorities, not only in the region, but also in Flanders and at national level.’ - Frederic Convent, 2nd in the Brussels Parliament.
Vooruit: 9/10
‘We share almost all the priorities and there is little or nothing in the memorandum that we cannot agree with.’ - Ans Persoons, lead candidate.
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