This week, the executive received the social partners, bosses on Monday and unions on Wednesday. They urged the government to act. A first kern was held on Tuesday evening.
Within the Vivaldi coalition, everyone puts forward their ideas, including Prime Minister Alexander De Croo. According to De Tijd, the head of government put a proposal on the table on Tuesday to provide a basic gas package. In this case, the consumer would pay a fixed price for basic gas consumption. And those who would consume more, would pay more. The intention is to develop a simple system, in order to grant this possibility before the onset of winter.
Some of the discussions at the previous kern focused on the measures to be taken for people who do not benefit from the social tariff. The point is for the moment left in inter-cabinets. The definition of the beneficiaries and the amount are under discussion. The intention is to have “something” ready if Europe’s response proves insufficient. But the government decided first to wait and see what Europe was going to do.
For his part, the Minister for the Middle Classes, the Independents, and SMEs David Clarinval indicated in L’Avenir that he had tabled his action plan at the Kern on Tuesday, admitting that not everything will be implemented. The minister speaks in particular of possibilities of acting on the level of excise duties or even of a form of social tariff which would target small and medium-sized businesses.
Febelfin, which represents the financial sector, announced a measure concerning the repayment of mortgage loans. For several government ministers, this is a step forward but still insufficient.
