Proposition 52K0740

Proposition de résolution visant à charger la Cour des comptes d'enquêter sur le suivi des contrats de gestion par la SNCB, Infrabel, la SNCB Holding et l'Etat.

General information ¶

Authors

Open Vld Herman De Croo, Guido De Padt, Ludo Van Campenhout

Submission date

Jan. 30, 2008

Official page

Visit

Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

management audit resolution of parliament rail transport

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

Groen CD&V Vooruit Ecolo LE PS | SP Open Vld N-VA LDD MR VB

Contact form ¶

Do you have a question or request regarding this proposition? Select the most appropriate option for your request and I will get back to you shortly.

Discussion ¶

March 19, 2008 | Plenary session (Chamber of representatives)

Full source

Mr. De Potter holds his first speech in the Chamber.

This will be a very short first speech.

This draft resolution was granted high urgency status in the plenary session of 21 February 2008 and was discussed in the committee at the meeting of 5 March 2008. With their resolution, the applicants, De Padt, Van Campenhout and De Croo, aim to authorise the Court of Audit to investigate compliance with the objectives and provisions contained in the management contract concluded between NMBS, Infrabel and the NMBS Holding, on the one hand, and the Belgian State, on the other. These are management contracts that run from 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2007. The audit must be completed by the Court of Auditors within four months. In connection with this, the Government is asked to adapt the management contracts to the results of the examination by the Court of Auditors.

A number of considerations are at the basis of the draft resolution. There is a need for a thorough evaluation of the management contracts in terms of quality of service and number of travellers. The management contracts are ⁇ complex, according to the applicants. Therefore, they argue that the Court of Auditors is the most appropriate body to carry out an evaluation. Furthermore, the Court of Auditors has the necessary expertise in this area, since it has in the past already settled on the use of the resources by the NMBS.

During the discussion of the resolution, there was a fairly large consensus on the content of the resolution. Only the Socialist Party had questions about its usefulness. According to Mrs. Linda Musin, the classical control bodies on the operation of the NMBS are sufficient and there is no need for external control by the Court of Auditors. The other parties, together with colleagues Van den Bergh, Geerts, Gilkinet, Van den Eynde and De Bue, share the concerns of the submitters of the resolution and consider it appropriate to conduct a thorough evaluation of the management contracts. The improvement of services should be at the heart of this. Mr Van den Bergh expressed concern that the Court of Auditors’ examination should not interfere with the negotiations currently underway on the new management contract.

The draft resolution was eventually adopted by 11 votes in favour and 1 vote against. (Applause of Applause)

Mr. Speaker, with your permission, I would like to take the word briefly from on my bench.

I agree with the excellent report by Jenne De Potter. Given the finding that the NMBS’s services are not performing well in recent months, that it is three years ago that the NMBS was split into three entities and a new management agreement was drawn up which expired at the end of last year, it would be appropriate that Parliament be informed of how the NMBS has fulfilled the management agreement concluded by the federal government with the three structures.

If one knows that the NMBS receives a grant of approximately 3 billion euros each year, has an outstanding consolidated debt of more than 10 billion euros and that every Belgian contributes 1,356 euros per year to the NMBS for debt settlements and dotations, I think it is good that we are informed about the reeling and sailing of the NMBS.

It is in this context that we request that the Court of Auditors inform us within four months from the moment it received the order. A new management agreement must be concluded. I think that the next minister should not wait for the result of the Court of Auditors, but may later draw conclusions from it. It would be good for us to be informed about how this important public transport company performs its tasks with the money contributed by the federal government.

Colleagues, one of the most important matters to be realized during this legislature is, of course, the formulation of a new management agreement with the various ranks of the NMBS holding. This is not only because our national railway company must be able to compete with other interested parties in a free market in a healthy situation, but also and ⁇ most importantly because the hundreds of thousands of train users rightly rely on good service, comfortable movements and accurate trains.

We are green! Ecolo and Ecolo have been advocating for a modern, performance and quality NMBS for years. The many problems that have arisen over the past few months on numerous lines show that that ideal is difficult to ⁇ . There were many discussions in the committee on numerous problems, the delays, the outdated train settings, the overcrowded train settings and so on. There are a lot of complaints about the lack of accuracy, about unclear communication or about an untransparent pricing policy. This affects the quality of travel that railways can offer. There is still the entire financial challenge. We are facing huge investments, we want to realize the expected growth of 25%. All this costs a lot of money and therefore there will also be choices to be made.

Therefore, if we want to conclude a good new management agreement, it is also very important that a thorough evaluation of the previous management agreement takes place. What about the preparation of the NMBS for the release of the market? What efforts can be made to make even more and even better trains run even more smoothly? How can we ensure that more people can use the railway?

In the explanatory note to the motion for a resolution, the applicants correctly address the complexity of the rules and provisions contained in the management contracts. In addition, they explicitly mention the confusing and often contradictory figures we receive from the NMBS and the user associations. Every one of us who regularly uses the train feels that the NMBS figures are not always correct. It is important: a state-owned company must be able to provide reliable data, without any doubt about rice. Therefore, it is good that an external and qualified audit body can help us in this. For these reasons, the Ecolo-Green group will! expressly support the initiative. A modern company must have its operations checked in a modern way, so that we as Parliament have a solid foundation to shape the future of the NMBS. We will therefore fully approve the proposal.

Mr. Speaker, I am a little surprised that Mr. De Croo is submitting a proposal for a resolution. He is usually a very strong opponent.

Wouldn’t it have been more courageous – three weeks ago I asked this to Parliament here from the speaker’s seat – to set up a parliamentary investigation committee on railing and sailing at the NMBS, for which we otherwise submitted a proposal? In fact, there is more going on. I even know that Mr. De Croo was in favour of this two years ago, but that he was flown back. Per ⁇ he can give his opinion on this.

Mr De Croo asks for the word on this.

Mr. De Croo, can I finish my reasoning? Yes, is it not? We know each other quite well; you allow me to do so.

It is not just about management agreements. I would also like to know – I have already asked that question here – what has happened in the ABX file that has been going on for years now. A few weeks ago there were rumors that we would get an investigation into the one-and-a-half billion euros lost at the time under Mr. Schouppe’s policies, as well as about the sale of ABX when Mr. Schouppe was gone. What happened to that money? Why did Capitalia from Italy not get there?

It would have really been courageous once, instead of shifting the responsibility back to the Court of Auditors and working again with a simple motion, that we would clearly and clearly use our democratic right in Parliament to once know what has been going on there for years.

Mr. Speaker, if Mr. Dedecker had read the resolution, he would know that it is the only way for the Chamber to move the Court of Auditors, which depends on us; it is the appropriate formula. It is not a resolution directed to anyone, nor to the government. The resolution invites the Chamber to give the Court of Auditors an assignment, as has happened – as stated in the considerations – in 2000 and in 2003.

Second, as far as ABX is concerned, I have no problem with the Chamber’s inclination and proposing appropriate investigative measures.

I would like to thank Mr. De Croo for his first personal presentation in nine years. (Applause of Applause)

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that Mr. De Croo is applying to a request for an investigation committee.