Belgium/Budget 2022: Walloon Brabant meets its new obligations
Despite a difficult health context and the recent floods, Walloon Brabant is maintaining the quality of its public services, aid to the municipalities and support for its historical partners (ISBW, cultural centres, etc.) and associations.
This Thursday morning, the Province presented its budget for the coming year, 2022.
The context and the budgetary difficulties do not prevent Walloon Brabant from assuming and developing essential missions of public interest, which bring an undeniable added value and which are expected by the citizens and the living forces of the territory.
As proof of this, the ISBW's (Intercommunale sociale du Brabant wallon) provincial allocation was initially to be reduced by 5% in 2021 and by 10% in 2022. In the end, in view of the financial difficulties of the intermunicipal association, the Province is backtracking and maintaining its funding at 2.5 million euros for 2022.
Walloon Brabant relies on its knowledge of the territory and control of its missions to maintain, strengthen or re-evaluate actions and partnerships according to their general interest, their priority nature and their efficiency. Among the new features, we can mention the development of a portfolio of digital projects, an artificial intelligence programme (€70,000) or the organisation of a training course for the local authorities.000), the organisation of the Special Olympics in May 2022 (€150,000) and the economic development project under the Team BW 2030 Territorial Development Contract (€40,000).
Investments
In the extraordinary budget of 30 million euros, more than 5 million euros are earmarked for the supra-municipality. The three major investment projects for the coming year are the construction of a new school building at IPET Nivelles (over 7 million), the development ofThe three major investment projects for the coming year are the construction of a new school building at IPET Nivelles (more than 7 million), the development of leisure activities at Bois des Rêves (2 million) and the construction of a reception and accommodation infrastructure for the disabled at Hévillers (6.7 million).
Not forgetting flood control. Walloon Brabant was also heavily affected in 2021. Given its global vision of the territory, which positions it as a central player in the fight against flooding, projects and investments are also planned in this area. A budget of almost two million euros has been earmarked for this purpose via two calls for projects in the supra-community (flood control and mudflows) and investments for the maintenance of waterways, work on stormwater basins and the purchase of land for stormwater basins.
Despite the budgetary context and the uncertain situation linked to the health crisis, Walloon Brabant is refocusing on the essentials, investing in innovative projects and staying the course for this budgetary year, which closes with a surplus.
