The Federal Planning Bureau has compiled a list of 264 concrete measures the government could use to close Belgium's budgetary gap. The analysts deliberately refrain from ranking them, but they are urging decision-makers to act fast.
The Monitoring Committee's most recent report projected a consolidation need of 4.9 billion euros by 2029. That figure did not, however, account for the war in Iran or the energy crisis. New Monitoring Committee figures expected later this month are likely to push the target even higher. Interest costs, meanwhile, are set to rise to around 3 per cent of GDP, with 2.5 per cent falling on the federal government alone.
To help reduce the deficit, Budget minister Vincent Van Peteghem asked the Planning Bureau to identify actionable options. The bureau consulted the National Bank, the Central Economic Council, the Knowledge Centre for Healthcare, the High Council of Finance and 28 university researchers, and compiled a list of 264 measures.
The 264 proposals span the full range of public finances. On the expenditure side, cuts to healthcare spending, sickness and disability benefits, public sector wages, operating costs, subsidies and development cooperation are suggested.
On the revenue side, proposals range from broadening the income tax base and tightening VAT to closing loopholes such as company cars, fuel cards and meal vouchers. Experts also suggest addressing the indexation mechanism and the possible introduction of a wealth tax.
Commissioner Baudouin Regout argued that broad, wide-ranging measures affecting large expenditure blocks will be essential, and that speed matters: the sooner the deficit is reduced, the less interest Belgium will pay.
![](\"https://avatars.prezly.com/favicon?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.belganewsagency.eu%2Fbelgiums-budget-deficit-rises-to-52-per-cent-of-gdp&newsroom=6b71e247-a9ba-4732-aaa3-88be14c119db\")
\n belganewsagency.eu \n The Planning Bureau's report has its drawbacks, De Tijd reports. No selection was made among the ideas submitted by experts, meaning several proposals appear more than once. They also remain vague and have not been costed in detail, as there was not enough time to do so.
Additionally, the proposals are not ranked, which means politicians will have to judge their value for themselves. That is a deliberate decision, according to Regout. "The choices can only be made by democratic institutions," he said. "It is and remains the responsibility of the federal government to take those decisions."
As a result, the report has drawn a lukewarm response, according to the newspaper. "Experts can offer their ideas in advance and their criticism afterwards. But the difficulty is finding a compromise. This does not really help much with that," a senior government source said.
"What this exercise shows is that even for experts, getting the budget in order is not so easy," another source pointed out.
Federal Budget minister Vincent Van Peteghem. © BELGA PHOTO EMILE WINDAL
Related news
![](\"https://avatars.prezly.com/favicon?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.belganewsagency.eu%2Fflemish-budget-deficit-for-2026-rises-to-218-bn-euros&newsroom=6b71e247-a9ba-4732-aaa3-88be14c119db\")
\n belganewsagency.eu \n