Belgium needs growth and investment, not pointless rules, barriers or administrative red tape. On this point, MR President Georges-Louis Bouchez and several Flemish entrepreneurs agree. They discussed this at a meeting organised by UNIZO, the Flemish union of small businesses.
"Those who can work must work," Bouchez insisted. "If nothing changes, we will have 700,000 long-term sick by 2029, that's 12% of the working population!" In his view, the abnormally high number of fake sick leaves has become untenable, both for businesses and for public finances. "We will of course continue to support those who are genuinely ill. But the abuse must stop: these people need to be quickly redirected towards employment. The more people who work, the less the state has to pay out in benefits. This would allow us to lower taxes and increase workers' net income."
SME leaders want to do business, innovate and invest. Yet a large part of their time is swallowed up by administrative formalities, a complaint that keeps coming back. "Public administrations need to listen more to entrepreneurs, support them and guide them," insists the MR President. "And spend less time multiplying inspections and sanctions. Absurd rules must disappear."
Small and medium-sized businesses are directly feeling the downturn: rising wage costs, high energy prices. "We're seeing an increase in bankruptcies. The state must ease the tax burden on businesses and, above all, cut its own spending. More than ever, we need growth and investment," Bouchez repeats. "Measures have been taken to boost activity, but their implementation must be accelerated."