Dozens of rules change on New Year’s Day

If people in Belgium have a severe headache in the first days of the new year, don’t assume it’s due to too much alcohol. It could very well be due to too many changes in the already abundant rules, regulations, and laws of the various Belgian authorities. The changes affect nearly all groups in society and many activities. Most changes are technical, some go much, much deeper.

In this article, Belga English gives a short overview of the dozens of measures. But first, it should be noted that the list should have been much longer. The federal government of PM Bart De Wever was too late in reaching agreements over several important budget cuts to have them started on 1 January. For example, the pension system will become a lot less generous, especially for civil servants, but most changes only later in the year. Changes in how salaries are adjusted for inflation are another important example.

Here are only the measures that will be implemented on New Year’s Day:

-Probably the most fundamental change is the limited duration of an unemployment allowance. Up till now, it’s possible to receive an unemployment allowance for decades, if certain conditions are met. In the future, the maximum duration will be 2 years. Tens of thousands of people have to find a job, or else fall without income. Some will be able to receive a minimal social benefit.

-Also workers who are ill for a long period will need to return to the labour market. With different incentives, employers and employees are pushed to find alternatives to not working.

-The centre-right federal and regional governments decided on several other measures to get a job for as many people as possible. ‘Activating’ is the motto. One of the methods is to make the labour market more flexible, by loosening the rules on overtime, night work, working time.

-Flanders limits the list of professions for which employers can attract foreign workers, but the federal government makes it cheaper to employ foreign experts.

-Traditionally, several taxation rules change. Some new taxes are introduced, and existing ones are lowered or raised. In Flanders, for example, the inheritance tax for single people without children goes down. A change at the federal level affects workers who have a ‘flexi-job’ in addition to their regular job; they can earn more in that flexi-job without paying taxes.

-The construction sector alone sees different changes in subsidies and taxes.

-At the federal level, a new, controversial capital gains tax starts. Investors selling assets will have to pay 10 per cent on the gain.

-People who donate money to charity see their tax deduction reduced.

-Several changes -at national and at regional level- have to do with the energy transition: making gas more expensive and electricity cheaper, or phasing out heating oil. The mobility shift is reflected in measures to promote electric cars, among others.

-A cut in the budget of the official health insurance results in patients having to pay more for medicines. But new, innovative medicines will be reimbursed faster.

-Companies have to send their invoices to one another via an official digital network, Peppol.

-Publicity to promote unhealthy food amongst youngsters is forbidden.

_{#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO Herwig Vergult/ver.}