During the corona crisis, there was the consumption check to increase people's purchasing power. N-VA chairman Bart De Wever thinks it is a good idea to give people another consumption check during this energy crisis. He says that during 'The Big Money Debate' on VTM.
De Wever supports the idea of consumer vouchers during the energy crisis. “We have introduced the UCoins in Antwerp. That is digital money that you have to spend in Antwerp stores. Those stores often gave a discount.”
“There is a problem with the index,” De Wever continues. 'By the time the taxman has come by, you'll be impoverished. It seems as if your income is stable. But if you go to work, you have lost. Gross is added. Your employer must give three euros. You have one euro in hand. Then comes the tax authorities who take another part. So you're better off with a check on which the employees and employers don't have to pay taxes. That money then goes to our own stores.”
“It is logical that people are concerned when you look at the prices”, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo responds during 'The Big Money Debate'. “We have taken measures, but we are going to have to go further than this. It cannot be that there are people who ask themselves the question: 'What if I can't pay my bill, will my electricity and/or gas be cut off?' We don't leave anyone out in the cold. I will come up with proposals within the government.
Nevertheless, according to Prime Minister De Croo, the "fundamental solution must come from Europe".
One in three Flemings does not see enough money coming in each month to pay all costs, according to the Big Money Survey of 'Het Laatste Nieuws' and 'VTM NIEUWS'. Four out of ten have to nibble on their savings to make ends meet. One in ten Flemings will even borrow for this. As a solution, we want to save massively, and also work a little more.
This post is a translated extract from Het Laatste Nieuws.