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Economy


  • 14-April-2020

    English

    Synthesising good practices in fiscal federalism - Key recommendations from 15 years of country surveys

    The design of intergovernmental fiscal relations can help to ensure that tax and spending powers are assigned in a way to promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth. Decentralisation can enable sub-central governments to provide better public services for households and firms, while it can also make intergovernmental frameworks more complex, harming equity. The challenges of fiscal federalism are multi-faceted and involve difficult trade-offs. This synthesis paper consolidates much of the OECD’s work on fiscal federalism over the past 15 years, with a particular focus on OECD Economic Surveys. The paper identifies a range of good practices on the design of country policies and institutions related strengthening fiscal capacity delineating responsibilities across evels of government and improving intergovernmental co-ordination.

  • 20-March-2020

    English

    Addressing labour market challenges in Belgium

    Job creation has lowered unemployment, but the Belgian labour market still faces many challenges. Employment rates remain low, reflecting barriers to finding a job such as low levels of skills and weak work incentives. In addition, the changing nature of work will require faster adaptation of workers. In order to address these challenges, this chapter presents a detailed analysis of policy priorities, drawing notably on insights from the OECD Jobs Strategy. One priority should be that each worker has access to lifelong training, with additional allowances targeted to disadvantaged workers. To improve transitions into work, the use of tools for the profiling of individualised risks should be extended. A better combination of income support and incentives could be achieved through reforming both unemployment and in-work benefits. Reforming some aspects of employment protection legislation, such as those related to collective dismissals, and the wage formation system, would boost flexibility. This Working Paper relates to the 2020 OECD Economic Survey of Belgium http://www.oecd.org/economy/belgium-economic-snapshot/.

  • 3-February-2020

    English

    Belgium: keep up reforms to increase employment and productivity growth

    Belgium’s tax, labour, pension and education reforms have improved the potential for stronger, sustainable and inclusive growth over the long term. Keeping up this momentum on structural reforms is key to energise the economy and keep it resilient to external risks and uncertainties, according to a new OECD report.

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  • 3-February-2020

    English

    Launch of the 2020 Belgium Economic Survey

    It is a great pleasure to be back in Brussels to present the 2020 Economic Survey of Belgium. I would like to thank Prime Minister Wilmès for hosting us today and for the support that Belgium has shown during the preparation of this Survey.

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  • 31-January-2020

    English

    Mr. Angel Gurría, Secretary-General of the OECD, in Brussels on 3 February 2020

    The Secretary-General of the OECD, Mr. Angel Gurría, will be in Brussels on 3 February 2020 to present the 2020 OECD Economic Survey of Belgium, alongside Ms. Sophie Wilmès, Prime Minister of Belgium.

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  • 8-July-2019

    English

    In-Depth Productivity Review of Belgium

    Belgium has a high level of productivity. However, growth of productivity has declined quite strongly over the past two decades, and more so than in other advanced economies. This is a worrying development, as fewer productivity gains mean less wage growth and a slowdown in improvements to pensions, health care and well-being. This In-Depth Productivity Review of Belgium assesses in detail the drivers of productivity and recommends a 7-Point Action Plan to reignite productivity growth in Belgium. Reviving productivity growth requires action in many areas cutting across governments and ministerial competences. Measures are needed to instil more dynamism in Belgium’s economy, both among businesses and in the labour market, and to make the public finances more growth-oriented. In addition to recommending detailed policy measures to revive productivity growth, the Review contains three analytical chapters that lay out the evidence base: Chapter 1 on economy-wide and sectoral trends in productivity; Chapter 2 on the role of firms for productivity, with a focus on the dispersion of performance among businesses; and Chapter 3 on the worker dimension of productivity, with a focus on the role of wage bargaining and skills.

  • 19-December-2017

    English

    Raising and mobilising skills to boost productivity and inclusiveness in Belgium

    A highly educated and skilled workforce has been an important driver of productivity performance and prosperity in Belgium.

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  • 19-December-2017

    English

    Making the business environment more supportive of productivity in Belgium

    A favourable business environment is crucial to boosting Belgium’s productivity and inclusiveness and to sustain improvements in long-term economic prosperity.

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  • 20-June-2017

    English

    Public investment, tax and education reforms will help bolster inclusive growth in Belgium

    A combination of market-based policies and a redistributive welfare state have boosted Belgium’s per-capita GDP to well above the average of OECD countries and raised well-being, according to a new OECD report.

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  • 20-June-2017

    English

    Economic Survey of Belgium 2017

    Belgium performs well in many economic and social dimensions. The macroeconomic policy framework is sound and has been strengthened by many important reforms in recent years, including in labour taxation, business regulation and support for the self-employed and SMEs.

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