On October 13, 650,000 Limburgers will elect new municipal councils. It is the ideal opportunity for Voka Limburg to see how Limburg municipalities are doing in the field of local entrepreneurship and what could be improved. After all, the world has changed significantly since the previous elections in 2018, according to Voka Limburg. New crises have presented entrepreneurs and local authorities with new challenges.
In the run-up to the local elections, all 42 Limburg municipalities receive a list of recommendations based on the Voka Municipal Mirror. “In addition to general points of interest for all local authorities, these memoranda contain specific recommendations at municipal level, because we believe that local entrepreneurship is the engine of economic growth and social prosperity,” say Joris Vrancken and Jonas De Raeve, chairman and director of advocacy at Voka Limburg. “We owe it to our local entrepreneurs to advocate in this way for a strong and lean local government that puts entrepreneurship and companies first.”
Municipal
In addition to the tailor-made recommendations, the municipal memoranda also contain ten recommendations that apply to all municipalities. “These are recommendations that focus on different domains within our society, ranging from investments, labor market, taxation, space, mobility, education, welfare and healthcare,” says De Raeve.
In concrete terms, Voka Limburg advocates, among other things, a minimum investment standard of 4.5 percent of GDP by 2029. Voka Limburg also advocates a coherent policy on logistics and mobility by implementing an accessibility test. In terms of taxation, Voka Limburg proposes a fiscal pact in which business taxes will not increase as long as the Flemish government provides generous financing. The employers’ organization also advocates investments in mobility infrastructure and greening mobility.
Based on 25 business-related indicators from the Voka Municipal Mirror, Voka Limburg also drew up a ranking of the municipalities where the climate is most favorable for entrepreneurs. Oudsbergen, Ham and Nieuwerkerken top the list, followed by Lummen, Zonhoven, Leopoldsburg, Peer, Pelt, Hechtel-Eksel and Bree. Maaseik, Maasmechelen and Voeren are at the bottom.
Provincial government
Limburg will also elect a new provincial government on Sunday, December 13. In that context, Voka Limburg advocates maintaining the provincial level. “Limburg is strategically located and has all the assets to become a top economic region,” says Jonas De Raeve. “Due to the lack of a metropolitan context, there is a greater need for supra-local cooperation and expertise than elsewhere. Our provincial institutions absorb this and can provide a solid track record.”
In addition to maintaining the provincial level, Voka Limburg also advocates the extension of the disrupted zone support measure. In addition, Voka Limburg advocates a mandatory merger of municipalities with fewer than 30,000 inhabitants. “That should provide more administrative power,” says De Raeve. “Region formation should also be used for important projects such as housing for migrant workers.”
The motivation and the individual memorandum per municipality can be consulted on this website: www.voka.be/nieuws/lokale-memoranda.
