Share
Create bookmark
OECD Economic Surveys: Belgium 2009
Do you like this document?
Notes
Please login to add notes
- Table of contents
- Basic Statistics of Belgium, 2008
- Executive summary
- Assessment and recommendations
-
+
Chapter 1. Coping with the crisis while pursuing structural reforms
-
+
Belgium has plunged into a severe crisis
- The crisis started in the financial sector…
- + … and is playing out through a number of channels
- The European Central Bank reacted by lowering interest rates…
- + … while the government responded with fiscal stimulus
- Labour utilisation is low
- + The strong employment growth in the past couple of years did not benefit all
- Challenges facing the Belgian economy
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Annex 1.A1. - Table 1.A1.1. Progress in structural reform
-
+
Belgium has plunged into a severe crisis
- + Chapter 2. Securing fiscal sustainability during the economic downturn and beyond
-
+
Chapter 3. Improving fiscal federalism
- Table 3.1. GDP per capita in the regions of Belgium
- + Despite decentralisation, the bulk of the deficit reduction has been achieved by the federal budget
- Spending pressure from demographic change will mainly affect the federal government budget
- + Sub-federal governments spend almost 40% of total government expenditure
- Despite increased taxing power of regions, their revenues continue to be dominated by transfers from the federal government…
- + … which are not aligned neither with actual revenue collection nor spending needs
- + Equalisation transfers penalise economic efforts
- + Improving coherence of policies of sub-federal governments in areas of national interest
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Annex 3.A1. Main historical steps of Belgium’s federalism
-
+
Chapter 4. How to reform the tax system to enhance economic growth
-
+
The tax system relies heavily on labour taxes
- Table 4.1. Partial or full tax exempted fringe benefit provided by the employer
- Table 4.2. Composition of social security contributions
- Box 4.2. Main general exemptions in the social security system
- Table 4.3. Reductions in employers’ social security contributions and wage subsidies
- Table 4.4. Financial work incentives in Europe
- + The corporate income tax system has become more neutral vis-à-vis types of financing
- + The tax treatment of savings vehicles varies considerably
- + The reliance on consumption taxes is relatively low
- Notes
- Bibliography
-
+
The tax system relies heavily on labour taxes
-
+
Chapter 5. Promoting competition to strengthen economic growth
- More competition to benefit productivity, employment and consumer welfare
- The Competition Authority needs further strengthening
- + Competition in retail distribution is burdened by heavy regulation
- + Regulators in network industries are faced with dominant positions of incumbents
- + Conclusion
- Notes
- Bibliography
This 2009 edition of OECD's periodic survey of Belgium explores how Belgium should cope with the economic crisis and includes chapters on securing fiscal sustainability, improving fiscal federalism, reforming the tax system, and promoting competition.
Your free to read time expires in minutes. After that you have to pause for an hour.
Book Details
Editors
Categories
Business & Economics > International > Economics
Publishers
Publication year : 2009
License: All rights reserved ©
Times read: 11
