Good news and bad news: the September 2025 statement for entrepreneurs
October 2025 - This week, Flemish Minister of Finance and Budget Matthias Diependaele presented the Flemish government's September statement. After several days of negotiations, an agreement was reached on next year's budget. For entrepreneurs, the statement contains both opportunities and challenges.
Investment in infrastructure and childcare
The Flemish government is releasing funds to increase the capacity of the electricity grid. This is essential to meet the growing demand for energy and enable the electrification of our economy. Additional investments are also being made in childcare, giving working parents a little more breathing space and supporting employment.
In addition, the government is aiming for a balanced budget by 2027. Entrepreneurs can also count on a reduction in administrative burdens and faster authorisation procedures. This should simplify operations and get projects off the ground more quickly.
New costs and savings
These positive signs are offset by a number of measures that entrepreneurs may feel directly in their wallets. For example, the nuisance allowance is being abolished and savings are being made in the areas of labour and economic policy. In addition, part of the sectoral aid is being abolished.
The planned increase in road pricing represents a significant cost for businesses. As Flanders is an important logistics hub, this increase is likely to affect not only the transport sector, but also related sectors such as construction, retail and ports. Higher transport costs are weighing on margins and may delay investments.
Cuts to the MijnVerbouwPremie
The reform of the MijnVerbouwPremie now excludes two of the four income categories. For the construction sector, this could result in a decline in orders for (re)construction. In addition to the economic impacts, this may also delay ecological progress in terms of the sustainability of the building stock.
Support for entrepreneurship under pressure
The removal of certain subsidies is also weighing on entrepreneurship. For companies in the development, start-up or growth phase, these support measures can often make the difference in investment decisions. Their removal may not only affect the short term, but also weaken the competitiveness of SMEs in the longer term.
