Scrapping lunch vouchers ‘would have serious consequences’

The Association of Voucher Issuers (VIA), which represents the interests of companies issuing prepaid vouchers has warned that scrapping meal tickets would have "serious economic and social consequences" for Belgian employees and employers alike. It follows a call by the minister for economy Johan Vande Lanotte to reform the lunch voucher and eco-cheque system. Vande Lanotte’s idea is to scrap the vouchers and pay the equivalent amount into employees’ accounts together with  their wages, which would "reduce cost to businesses by €80m." A bill to this effect was introduced  to the Senate in July, said Open VLD senator Rik Daems. "It is important to analyse the pros and cons of such a decision, both in the short and the long term, "insists VIA president Bernard Rongvaux. The associations estimates that 7,000 companies pay meal tickets to a total of 1.6 million employees in Belgium.