MONACO ON THE MEUSE
[BIZ: Hasselt, February 16] Through 2009 the province will have an injection of EUR 673m. The driving force behind this plan is, of course, Governor Steve Stevaert. In mid-January he gave a status report for the first time since the agreement in principal with the Flemish government in July 2005 and the first tranche of EUR 7m was released. The Governor informed Trends of the plan. It comes down to Flanders spending EUR 452m on the Limburg Plan. Governor Stevaert said in the Trends article that the subsidy for Limburg was fair in respect of other Flemish provinces because of the unemployment issue, and he compared Limburg’s prospects favorably with those in the Walloon country. There is clearly an interest in new European subsidies, but it isn’t the essence of this development. Limburg is looking for EUR 180m of alternative finance: Trends asked how the Governor planned to fill that particular gap. There is also reference to a virtual toll system, private-public partnerships, and banks but, as the Governor says, this is an area requiring creative solutions. In response to a comment that injections of millions are not automatically economically relevant, the Governor was asked if he was sure private investment would follow. He said that one couldn’t have that certainty but the government had a support policy involving major infrastructural investment. The Albert Canal would fare well here, with the need to move containers from Antwerp — logistics is the province’s ‘trump card’. The issue of construction jobs in the period 2006-2009 arose and to what extent these jobs would continue. Other assets were the Governor’s policy to attract Belgian and foreign business to the province with reasonably priced permits and locations, options for staff training, and access to the TGV in Ličge. Another key issue is to promote Limburg as a tax haven. The first thing, according to the Governor, is to convince foreign investors that the province — because of its location, productivity, presence of trained staff, and a decent tax system — is unique in Europe, and not to place tax obstacles in the way of new business. (Source: Trends, 16 February 2006)
An article in the Belgian magazine Trends expands on Governor Stevaert’s ideas of branding for Limburg: involving the development of a tax haven on the Meuse, an investment plan of EUR 673m (serving as bait for companies), and Governor Stevaert, who would make it all possible — three reasons, in the words of Trends, to find out about the ‘Limburg Plan’ which started last month.
http://www.trends.be