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Government announces measures to support construction industry

09:59 27/02/2015

Federal economy minister Kris Peeters told the construction industry yesterday that he is working on a “range of measures” to reduce the high number of bankruptcies in the sector. Speaking at the Batibouw building fair in Brussels, he said he was concerned at the high level of financial problems among construction companies, particularly small businesses.

Peeters (CD&V) said that the number of companies going bust had almost doubled over the past decade, with more than 2,000 companies closing in 2014 compared to just over 1,000 in 2005. He wants to support the sector, he said, by reducing high labour costs and cutting benefit fraud.

Peeters also wants to introduce compulsory insurance coverage, he said, so that construction companies are not forced into bankruptcy by costly legal actions. In addition, foreign construction companies will have to adhere to the same rules as Belgian operations.

“The building sector is one of the economic powerhouses of our country,” Peeters said. “It comprises 115,000 companies that employ 200,000 workers. One in 10 companies in Belgium are involved in the construction sector. This is a branch of the economy that we have to protect.”

Written by Derek Blyth

Comments

Mikek1300gt

First we get told there is almost no building land left ( here on this site) and now we are told the building industry needs protecting.

As I said then, expect new building land to be released at eye watering prices via a process that involves wealthy families and funny hand shakes surrounded in an impenetrable bureaucracy designed to keep you ignorant of what is actually going on.

Feb 28, 2015 22:10