Federal government should offer 'more value for money'

The federal government’s services should offer better value for money, according to the National Bank. Many other European countries perform better and are cheaper, it said in a study it just released.

The National Bank analysed the government’s expenses and performance, comparing it with the 14 other core countries in the EU – those that have been part of the union since 1995. Its analysis was published in its Economisch Tijdschrift, though it warned that it is difficult to make direct comparisons between countries.

It concluded that there are few countries where citizens and companies pay as much tax as in Belgium, but they don’t receive top quality services in return. The government should be able to provide the same level of quality with less funding, it says, and advises the government to eliminate redundancy and apply more ICT innovations.

Of the 15 countries rated, Belgium is the fourth highest for government expenses, but came in 11th for efficiency. The domain in which the government provides the least value for money is public order and security, it said. Belgium spends large sums on police services, courts and prisons, but the scores on criminal activity and sense of security are mediocre. The government also scores poorly on mobility.

Belgium scores very well, however, in health care and education. As a region, Flanders has the second-best performance in education, while the quality of health care and lack of waiting lists in Belgium is top in Europe.

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