Belgian Energy Minister: State Is Not Getting Richer From High Energy Prices
“The state is not getting richer because of rising energy prices,” Energy Minister Mathieu Bihet (MR) said during a meeting of the parliamentary Energy Committee.
According to Bihet’s party colleague David Clarinval, the Belgian government has collected more than 100 million euro in additional fuel excise taxes because of higher energy prices, which have been affected by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
French-speaking liberals want that money to be returned to citizens through a so-called “reverse cliquet” system. The Economy Minister is expected to present the proposal during the government’s budget negotiations.
Under the mechanism, fuel excise taxes would be reduced when prices rise above a certain threshold. “Families who need their car to get to work could be helped this way,” Bihet said in parliament.
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Bart De Wever also said that higher energy prices ultimately cost the government money rather than making it richer.
At the end of April, the government approved an 80 million euro support package. This included a tax incentive for employers to increase mileage allowances for workers.
Green Party MP Jeroen Van Lysebettens questioned the effectiveness of the existing measures.
“If you put the cliquet on the table, you are actually admitting that the measures from April are not working,” he said. He argued that much of the available funding has not been used and that Public Centres for Social Welfare (OCMWs) have said they were unaware of the additional resources.
Socialist MP Eric Thiébaut also urged the minister to “listen to what is happening on the ground” and take the concerns of OCMWs into account.
The proposed reverse cliquet could therefore become part of the upcoming budget negotiations as the government considers how to respond to the impact of higher energy and fuel prices on Belgian households.
