Here we go again: new aviation tax ?

[B737229]

not an official statement, but may become reality :

http://www.luchtvaartnieuws.nl/news/?ID=28304

No more FR investments in Charleroi if the aviation tax sees the daylight !

[sn26567]

No more FR investments in Charleroi if the aviation tax sees the daylight !

And tha's why the Walloon Region is also opposed to the tax. I foresee difficult negotiations with the Federal Government.

[LX-LGX]

No more FR investments in Charleroi if the aviation tax sees the daylight !

And that's why the Walloon Region is also opposed to the tax. I foresee difficult negotiations with the Federal Government.

I really have no intention at all to start a political debate, but if the Walloon Region opposes the tax, some things have to put straight:

- we in the northern part of Belgium aren't happy with the tax either;

- the tax is installed by a federal government who has the support of the majority from the French speaking MEP's.

Yet I believe that the tax was decided upon the general principle at a Belgian Budget control: "what is the easiest way to get as much money as possible out of the pockets of as many citizens as possible?"

The tax is an anti-aviation tax, and it would be sad if one Region would say it's aimed against them only.

[Acid-drop]

It's obvious that one region cannot decide without talking with the others.
But you know that one of the region here will try harder than others ...
It's a good starting point.

[outofafrica]

- the tax is installed by a federal government who has the support of the majority from the French speaking MEP's.

.

Hi

So the French MAJORITY dislikes the new tax ...I can not follow anymore, who is in charge here . This proves once more that Belgium always has been just a stupid monkey country. Do they realize how ridiculous they look.

greetz

[airbuske]

Sign the petition against the new aviation tax!
De Belgische reis- en luchtvaartsector zegt NEE aan de vliegtaks.
Le secteur aérien belge dit NON à la taxe sur les billets d'avion.

http://www.stopdevliegtickettaks.be/

[sn26567]

BATA published a press release yesterday claiming they had already collected 35,000 signatures.

But the fight continues. It is not too late to sign:
http://www.stoplataxesurlesbilletsdavion.be/
http://www.stopdevliegtickettaks.be/

BATA and ABTO have said they would go to court if the giovernment persists with its intention to introduce the tax.

[Acid-drop]

Go to court is a good idea
But a petition has never changed anything, it's just hope

[Acid-drop]

The waloon gov is fighting the tax.
(in french) http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/art ... avion.html

[LX-LGX]

The waloon gov is fighting the tax.
(in french) http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/art ... avion.html

Webmaster, I hope you understand it's impossible to discuss this aviation tax, installed by politicians, without referring to politics...

Poor reaction from them.

1. All Walloon political parties, except Ecolo (the greenies) and Front National (far right) are represented in the Belgian federal government who has decided on the aviation tax.

2. The Walloon parties deliver two of the three most important ministers for the Budget - which installs the new aviation tax: the minister of Finance (Didier Reynders, MR) and the secretary of state for Budget (Melchior Wathelet, cdH) (the third minister being important for the Budget is the prime minister (Yves Leterme, CD&V).

3. From the 20 ministers and secretaries of state, 9 are from Flemish political parties and 12 from French/Walloon ones. The Belgian prime minister is always regarded as bilanguage. To tell us now that the 12 Wallloon ministers oppose the tax is strange, very strange.

4. The two Walloon ministers speaking out loud in La Libre both have a vice prime minister from their party in the federal government (MR has Didier Reynders, cdH has Joëlle Milquet).

- - - - -

Everybody in commercial activities will confirm it's dangerous for a company to depend from just one client - be it at supermarket, a shoe manufacturer, an industrial bakery or an airport. That's what CRL is confronted with now, hence the reaction from the Walloon government.

[Acid-drop]

As I understand it, they just want to show that this new tax was decided too quickly (it was an emergency action for the budget), without enough talk in their own party, and without a deep analysis of the situation, ignoring the possible consequences...
Now they want to discuss, which is quite a good news.

And it’s not the first time than the regions disagree with the federal level … It seems clear that each level is working for their own stuff. Its not the first time : check the flemish region reaction when a flemish federal minister came with some noice plan ...

[LX-LGX]

The waloon gov is fighting the tax.
(in french) http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/art ... avion.html

Webmaster, I hope you understand it's impossible to discuss this aviation tax, installed by politicians, without referring to politics...

Poor reaction from them.

1. All Walloon political parties, except Ecolo (the greenies) and Front National (far right) are represented in the Belgian federal government who has decided on the aviation tax.

2. The Walloon parties deliver two of the three most important ministers for the Budget - which installs the new aviation tax: the minister of Finance (Didier Reynders, MR) and the secretary of state for Budget (Melchior Wathelet, cdH) (the third minister being important for the Budget is the prime minister (Yves Leterme, CD&V).

3. From the 20 ministers and secretaries of state, 9 are from Flemish political parties and 12 from French/Walloon ones. The Belgian prime minister is always regarded as bilanguage. To tell us now that the 12 Wallloon ministers oppose the tax is strange, very strange.

4. The two Walloon ministers speaking out loud in La Libre both have a vice prime minister from their party in the federal government (MR has Didier Reynders, cdH has Joëlle Milquet).

- - - - -

Everybody in commercial activities will confirm it's dangerous for a company to depend from just one client - be it at supermarket, a shoe manufacturer, an industrial bakery or an airport. That's what CRL is confronted with now, hence the reaction from the Walloon government.

I'm so sorry, but few hours after the above post, I already have to adjust it: the Walloon governement is beaten in political hypocrisy by one Flemish political party - also a member from the political majority in the Belgian federal government. Within one month after they've announced the aviation tax, Open VLD today says that they also oppose the tax!

Politicians from the northern and the southern part of Belgium now announce that the aviation tax will have to be replaced by another tax. Let me guess: VAT on public transport? Or a railway station departure tax? Or perhaps the re-introduction of the bicycle tax?

http://www.nieuwsblad.be/Article/Detail ... 112008_044

[JOVAN]

The waloon gov is fighting the tax.
(in french) http://www.lalibre.be/actu/belgique/art ... avion.html

Webmaster, I hope you understand it's impossible to discuss this aviation tax, installed by politicians, without referring to politics...

Poor reaction from them.

1. All Walloon political parties, except Ecolo (the greenies) and Front National (far right) are represented in the Belgian federal government who has decided on the aviation tax.

2. The Walloon parties deliver two of the three most important ministers for the Budget - which installs the new aviation tax: the minister of Finance (Didier Reynders, MR) and the secretary of state for Budget (Melchior Wathelet, cdH) (the third minister being important for the Budget is the prime minister (Yves Leterme, CD&V).

3. From the 20 ministers and secretaries of state, 9 are from Flemish political parties and 12 from French/Walloon ones. The Belgian prime minister is always regarded as bilanguage. To tell us now that the 12 Wallloon ministers oppose the tax is strange, very strange.

4. The two Walloon ministers speaking out loud in La Libre both have a vice prime minister from their party in the federal government (MR has Didier Reynders, cdH has Joëlle Milquet).

- - - - -

Everybody in commercial activities will confirm it's dangerous for a company to depend from just one client - be it at supermarket, a shoe manufacturer, an industrial bakery or an airport. That's what CRL is confronted with now, hence the reaction from the Walloon government.

I'm so sorry, but few hours after the above post, I already have to adjust it: the Walloon governement is beaten in political hypocrisy by one Flemish political party - also a member from the political majority in the Belgian federal government. Within one month after they've announced the aviation tax, Open VLD today says that they also oppose the tax!

Politicians from the northern and the southern part of Belgium now announce that the aviation tax will have to be replaced by another tax. Let me guess: VAT on public transport? Or a railway station departure tax? Or perhaps the re-introduction of the bicycle tax?

http://www.nieuwsblad.be/Article/Detail ... 112008_044

LX-LGX

Are you pro or contra the Tax?
Yes, you are talking too much politics here.

Very simple, if Demotte and Antoine are against it, it will not happen (or......there must be a compensation.)°

[b720]

Bottom line is we are over taxed in this country in all manners.. as for aviation add securiy fees+ airport taxes+ fuel charges +++++++++ there simply is no room for more taxes on airline tickets, and certainly not
in this economic climate.

[b-west]

There's a special meeting about the tax today. The regional governments are against it. Open VLD proposed a plan where the tax would not come in to reality but be replaced by an extra financial effort of the regions towards the federal government.

Meanwhile, De Standaard manages to screw up royally in their reporting. First they call Jet Airways an "indian low cost company" (Naresh Goyal, de topman van de Indische low-costmaatschappij Jet Airways), and they continue their gaffes by calling the A-terminal "specifically built for low cost carriers" (In 2002 nam de luchthaven van Zaventem een pier in gebruik, bedoeld voor low-costmaatschappijen.). I'll write them a small complaint letter today. I propose others do as well, as to get some reaction.

[taz001]

It seems like the Belgian governement came back on their decission of the aviation tax!!!!

http://www.deredactie.be/cm/de.redactie ... _vliegtaks

link is in dutch, but it says that the tax will not be installed! At last some good news I think.

[LX-LGX]

Indeed good news : the aviation tax is waived, cancelled, scrapped !

Pressure from the Walloon Government has certainly been the final push.

But let's not forget the joined efforts from all professional organizations from the the Belgian travel trade and aviation trade. They've informed the right people in the federal governement that a similar tax was called illegal in 2005 by Belgium's highest legal court (Raad van State / Conseil D'Etat), because such tax is not allowed by the Chicago Convention - which states that an aviation tax may only be used for aviation matters (airports, ATC, airport security, ...). And they have surely convinced the right people in the government that they would go to court once again, if the aviation tax would be installed.

Anyway, thanks again to the 36.000 people who have signed the online petition till now!

[BrightCedars]

I can only express my great joy and relief at this news! My family would have been plagued by nearly 1,000€ of taxes par year as we are a mixed party of 4 traveling outside the boundaries of Europe (in Lebanon so on the outskirts) and visiting relatives there usually at least for the longer school holidays e.g. Easter, Summer, and Christmas. To keep out travel budget in the same envelope, we would probably have had to visit our family less which is not really a social measure. I'm sure they'll find something else to steal more of our hard earned money though. I'm not against taxes, but it's not like we're under-taxed or anything in this country.

[NCB]

There is an announcement that railway fares will increase:

http://www.hln.be/hln/nl/957/Belgie/art ... rder.dhtml

Great news for Belgian airlines, airports and passengers.

[LX-LGX]

The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf today mentions a study from AMS : they have lost 400,000 passengers since the introduction from the Dutch aviation tax (in July), and AMS expects to loose 1,000,000 passengers yearly if Belgium and Germany don't introduce a similar tax (and if The Netehrlands maintain their tax). Half of the loss is for KLM.

Source (Dutch only):
http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/2411 ... hol__.html

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