The food industry accounts for a quarter of the total industrial turnover in our country. But the sector is under pressure due to stagnant domestic demand, lower exports and rising costs due to the geopolitical situation. Fevia, the federation of food companies, is asking the government to keep prices for food and drinks affordable and not to increase VAT. The electricity bill must also be reduced, as must the administrative burden.
“Act today, not tomorrow”
Ann Wurman, CEO Fevia: “If we want to protect and anchor our Belgian food industry, we must act today, not tomorrow. Stimulate domestic demand by keeping food and drinks affordable and not introducing a VAT increase, reduce the packaging levy and excise duties, introduce a tax standard for drinks and reduce the litter tax to the level of our neighboring countries. But that alone is not enough, we also need to intervene structurally. Our wage costs today are more than 23% higher than average in neighboring countries. That is why we ensure manageable wage costs through a targeted approach to wage indexation and maintain support for night and shift work. Without these guarantees, we risk that production will disappear – and it will not simply return.”
