Speaking on La Première on RTBF, the Federal Minister for the Self-Employed, SMEs and Middle Classes, Eléonore Simonet, presented her priorities for supporting our self-employed workers and SMEs.
Self-employed workers and SMEs are the backbone of our economy. Belgium has around 1,167,000 SMEs.
During this interview, the Minister set out the three main pillars of her policy for self-employed workers:
- Strengthening the social status of self-employed workers: self-employed people who are better protected and supported throughout the life cycle of a business: at start-up, when growing the business, if they unfortunately fall ill, and finally at retirement.
The Minister plans to take very concrete measures:
- review the calculation of social contributions
- strengthen social protection in case of illness
- allow the bridging right to generate pension entitlements
- and from 2026, extend the social contribution exemption for self-employed women after pregnancy to two quarters (instead of the current one)
- Improving SME competitiveness through:
- better financing for SMEs
- the abolition of several small taxes
- support to help them develop their e-commerce
- greater ease in responding to public procurement contracts
The government agreement provides for a tax reform with charge reductions of €1.7 billion, of which €200 million will specifically benefit SMEs.
- Administrative simplification: 55% of entrepreneurs see administration as their main obstacle. Yet a self-employed person needs to work, create and innovate… not fill out paperwork all day long.
The Minister's goal is simple: zero red tape, but full service!
She therefore intends to abolish unnecessary administrative obligations.
The Minister will also work actively on other areas, such as support for craft trades and women-led entrepreneurship.
Eléonore Simonet: “I will soon put forward a comprehensive SME Plan to the Government proposing strong measures for our small and medium-sized enterprises.
For the first time in a long while, we have a Government that is 100% pro-business and wants to boost competitiveness. A Government that has understood that we will not reach the 80% employment rate by 2030 without businesses, and SMEs in particular. We have an unprecedented opportunity to take favourable, supportive measures for all our self-employed workers who create jobs and value.”
Fewer obstacles, more opportunities!