Belgium liberal party again calls to bring down rising gas prices

The Mouvement Réformateur (MR), Belgium’s french-speaking liberal party, is again calling for applying the reverse ratchet system to bring down rising gas prices, as per the reports.

As per the reports, MR said it would ask for the issue to be included on the agenda in the next ministerial committee, which quotes MR President Georges-Louis Bouchez as saying that the system needs to be introduced from the coming week.

Mr Bouches, while addressing media, said, “We have been calling for this mechanism to be implemented for weeks now. We are making it a priority now so that it can take effect this week.”

He added, “The primary goal is to lower down the prices to between 1.60 euro and 1.70 euro per litre, noting that while this was still high, it was a price that could be absorbed. Moreover, it’s all about the buying capacity of the middle class.”

The MR leader said that, “More generally, at several levels of power, we will broach the issue of automobile taxes: they are becoming unbearable. You need to offer people alternatives and stop permanently strangling them.”

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Vincent Van Peteghem has submitted a proposal on this issue to his partners in government. He added about two weeks ago that discussions on the proposal were in progress.