Threats to export aid, property taxes, sidelining in mobility plans... In recent weeks, there has been something of an anti-business climate in Brussels, which BECI has firmly condemned. At the start of this election year, the chamber is reminding the Region and the municipalities of their responsibilities in a memorandum, detailed by Olivier Willocx, CEO.
For several months now, the Brussels business community has been alarmed by a number of economic and social indicators turning red. In particular, regional debt, which has risen from €5.1 billion to €13.2 billion in the course of a single legislature.
Of course, we are all aware of the extraordinary financial responses required by the COVID crisis, followed by the energy crisis linked to the war in Ukraine. Today, the rise in interest rates is massively increasing the debt burden, which suffers primarily from a massive imbalance between revenue (6.5 billion) and expenditure (7.9 billion). In short, Brussels is living well beyond its means. Budgetary adjustment is urgently needed, clearly signalling the end of the ‘whatever it costs’ philosophy.
Faced with the various challenges that lie ahead, including an urgent transition to zero-carbon, the authorities need to rebuild the budgetary margins that are a prerequisite for any ambitious policy. While the business world can be a reliable partner, it expects good governance and efficiency more than ever from its public partners.
In BECI's opinion, these two requirements must lead the Region and the municipalities to limit the scope of public action to the rules that must be respected, to actions that complement or correct private initiative, and to investments that are productive and financially sustainable.
With an economy as open as that of Brussels and the country as a whole, the Region and the municipalities cannot ignore the impact of their actions on business competitiveness and employment, the importance of international and domestic attractiveness and the essential need for mobility for all.
In the run-up to an important election year, the Brussels Chamber of Commerce is calling on the Region and local authorities to take action. The aim is to conclude a new social pact, with a target of 80% activity, to finance the essential public policies of the future.
BECI has formalised this appeal, along with a number of key recommendations for businesses, in its 2024-2030 memorandum, which will serve as a guideline in the battles it intends to wage over the coming years.
This document, coordinated by Xavier Dehan, Public Affairs Expert for the Brussels Chamber of Commerce, is the result of extensive consultation with the Brussels business community: large companies, SMEs and sector federations. CEO Olivier Willocx comments on the main recommendations.
| Read the full text of the memorandum ➤ HERE |
About the author
Philippe Beco, BECI Journalist