Proposition 52K0948

Projet de loi ouvrant des crédits provisoires pour les mois d'avril, mai et juin 2008.

General information ¶

Submitted by

Open Vld Verhofstadt Ⅲ

Submission date

March 10, 2008

Official page

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Status

Adopted

Requirement

Simple

Subjects

budget national budget provisional twelfth

Voting ¶

Voted to adopt

CD&V Vooruit LE PS | SP Open Vld N-VA MR

Abstained from voting

Groen Ecolo LDD VB

Party dissidents ¶

• Rita De Bont (VB) voted to adopt.
• Barbara Pas (VB) voted to adopt.
• Francis Van den Eynde (VB) voted to adopt.
• Renaat Landuyt (Vooruit) voted to reject.
• Freya Van den Bossche (Vooruit) abstained from voting.

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Discussion ¶

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

Full source

Mr. Speaker, the draft was discussed in the session of 11 March 2008 and also approved by a large majority of 11 votes and 3 abstentions.

The principle of provisional appropriations consists in that authorization, thus the possibility is given to make payments in the case during the months of April, May and June. As a completion, a number of documents were added to the report that were not discussed during the committee, but which were communicated by the Minister of Budget, Mr. Leterme.

For the purposes of the report’s clarity, we would like to note that on page 200, which, however, brings with it some discussion, the euros behind certain sentence cuts have to do with the conversion of that rule. These are loans in foreign currency that were converted into euros. Contrary to what the Minister communicated, these amounts are not in euros, but in thousands of euros. The whole report and the whole discussion can therefore, in other words, be included in the Belgian Staatsblad.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Minister of National Defense, I assume that you have no objection to the fact that in these last hours that you are in the interim government, we will interview you on budgetary matters. You are probably ready to step into the final government, ⁇ with some impatience, but first things first: let’s say something about the provisional loans.

When I gave some considerations and comments on the first draft law concerning the provisional appropriations on 22 November last year, I had assumed that this would be a one-off date. Many of us at the time lived in the conviction that a definitive government would not long wait for itself, despite the government negotiators of the time, with the courage of despair, were moving forward to reach a working and unanimous government, preferably with a substantial government agreement and a clear and concrete government project.

Colleagues, with the CD&V at the forefront of the policy, everything would change. It was no longer a matter of fast and efficient, but a matter of good governance. If I look at the course, I can only conclude that we have made a little mistake in that, colleague Bogaert.

Today, 19 March – four months after 22 November 2007 – we are here again for the discussion of a bill on the provisional appropriations. So it has become a follow-up story, colleagues. After the provisional appropriations for the months of January, February and March, the appropriations for the months of April, May and June are now in question. In order not to allow the country to fall completely into the total chaos, the federal departments hold up the appearance that there is at least something still working in this country and the Minister of Budget tries, at least in the last hours that the minister has that power, to keep the budget a little on track.

On 22 November 2007, the excuse for working with provisional loans was that there was no timely government with full powers. On March 11, 2008, during the discussion in the Committee on Finance, the excuse for the second round of provisional budgetary appropriations was that we still did not have a final government. In the meantime, however, there was already a budget agreement, or at least what needs to be done for a budget agreement. After all, we still have to see the printed, parliamentary document and face the correct numbers and tables.

Just because of the absence of a definitive government, it was apparently opted to work with provisional twelve. This makes, of course, that both the previous and current debate have something irrelevant. A number of credits are provided. For the first quarter of 2008, the previous Funding Act covered €28.5 billion in commitment appropriations and €28.6 billion in ordonnance appropriations, which are considerable amounts in themselves. The present draft provisional twelve establishes €15.7 billion in commitment appropriations and €15.3 billion in ordonnance appropriations for the months of April, May and June 2008. It is therefore apparently not just about investment loans and personnel costs. For many departments, additional credits were registered.

Another element that is systematically highlighted in the various departments is the amount of invoices transferred from 2007 to 2008. These are invoices that could not be paid under the anchor principle. Therefore, the Minister of Budget here does indeed the after-sales service of the non-Orthodox fiscal policy of the previous coalition, consisting of liberals and socialists. However, I see it already coming. The black pet will be transferred to the sp.a, because they delivered the Minister of Budget in the two previous legislatures. Thus, the majority can also blow off the liberal coalition partner, who is still in the next government.

When we pronounce the words “provisional twelve,” there are always people who like to hear the aforementioned term, especially those who are members of the royal family. Prince Laurent is probably jumping a hole in the sky. After all, he knows that he can continue the financing of his villa on the idyllic island of Panarea, which in reality turns out to be a damaged crater, uninterrupted. The members of the royal family are not only paid in advance, in terms of their civilian list and their dotations. They are also the only ones who are already sure of their coins until September 2008. They will not immediately die of hunger and thirst.

The figures in the tables teach us that the civil list and the dotation to the royal family in these provisional credits amounts to 3.5 million euros. This is both about the donations and the supplements, read indexation. In November 2007, they had already received an initial advance reduction of 6.3 million euros. This means that they will soon receive 78% of the money. That in itself is not bad. The federal government apparently takes good care of the royal family.

Colleagues, for the sake of clarity and yet not insignificant to mention, the allocation of those provisional appropriations is based on an adjusted 2007 budget, which in itself was already an electoral budget of the jewel. The Flemish Interest Faction has given more of its reservations and criticism. I think even to remember that a promobus of CD&V together with Hendrik Bogaert and Carl Devlies, horresco referens, was still going to conduct campaign at the front door on the top of Leuven, when it took place there. It was not only the top of Leuven, but also the top of the lie.

Mr. Speaker, I am going around. With the commentary of the reporter, colleague Van Biesen, I can only agree. In fact, in the committee I have addressed the question concerning charges and loans in Section 45 of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. I have read the additional explanation, together with you, colleague Van Biesen, in the report.

There is, of course, still some confusion about the fact that the numerical table of Section 45 lists figures in euros while all other tables are expressed in thousands of euros. In itself, this is a little confusing, but the reporter has mentioned it. Those who read the explanation can continue with it.

Mr. Speaker, I am going around. Since the previous 2007 election budget was built on floating sand and we now, for the second time, basically base the provisional appropriations on it, I can only conclude that it is not really credible.

Given my comments and comments, you will understand, Mr. Minister, that we will not support this draft on the provisional twelve. The Flemish Interest Group will abstain.

We also abstained in the group, for two reasons.

The first reason is that we want to accuse that we received the documents again very late, the day before at 5 o’clock in the evening. This makes it very difficult to take them through in a proper way. We were promised by the interim Prime Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, that Parliament could work well. We hope that this will not happen again in the future.

A second and more important reason why we abstained is that for the second time we need to approve a provisional budget with provisional twelve. Of course, it is necessary that our country can bridge through the period of crisis and can continue to work. However, it is disturbing to note that we now have to wait until the summer, a year after the elections, to get a real budget. This is one-fourth of the legislature for which we were elected. This is actually unseen.

In order to appeal against this course of affairs, we do not want to make a substantial statement about the budget itself, but rather make it clear that we do not agree with the course of affairs. Therefore, our group will abstain.