{
  "title": "Belgium: 2016 Article IV Consultation--Press Release; Staff Report",
  "publication": "IMF Staff Country Reports, March 7, 2016",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/belgium-2016-article-iv-consultation-press-release-staff-report-43768",
  "canonical": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/belgium-2016-article-iv-consultation-press-release-staff-report-43768",
  "overlayPath": "/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/belgium-2016-article-iv-consultation-press-release-staff-report-43768/index.md",
  "summary": "This paper discusses economic development and policies of Belgium. The new government has taken important steps to support job creation and address the cost of aging—notably through wage moderation, pension reform, and a tax shift.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Summary and key findings",
      "content": "- The new government has taken important steps to support job creation and address the cost of aging—notably through wage moderation, pension reform, and a tax shift.\n- Growth prospects remain mediocre, public debt very high, and the labor market severely fragmented.\n- The central task is to achieve a lasting reduction in public debt while nurturing the recovery and social cohesion.\n- The government’s goal of achieving structural fiscal balance by 2018 is laudable but ambitious—with almost two percent of GDP of measures yet to be identified.\n- Tapping Belgium’s full labor market potential requires a comprehensive and inclusive jobs strategy."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Fiscal outlook and policy recommendations",
      "content": "- Achieve a lasting reduction in public debt while nurturing the recovery and social cohesion.\n- Identify and implement almost two percent of GDP of additional measures needed to reach structural fiscal balance by 2018."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Labor market issues and reforms",
      "content": "- Labor market characterized as severely fragmented.\n- Policies taken include wage moderation and a tax shift to support job creation.\n- Recommendation: adopt a comprehensive and inclusive jobs strategy to tap full labor market potential."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Notable measures taken",
      "content": "- Wage moderation.\n- Pension reform.\n- A tax shift.\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- cr1677\n  - cr1677 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - cr1677 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}"
    }
  ],
  "bullets": [
    "[Markdown version](/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/belgium-2016-article-iv-consultation-press-release-staff-report-43768/index.md)",
    "[Structured JSON version](/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/belgium-2016-article-iv-consultation-press-release-staff-report-43768/index.json)",
    "[Bundle manifest](/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/belgium-2016-article-iv-consultation-press-release-staff-report-43768/bundle-manifest.json)",
    "Published: March 7, 2016",
    "Series: IMF Staff Country Reports",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9781513547480.002",
    "The new government has taken important steps to support job creation and address the cost of aging—notably through wage moderation, pension reform, and a tax shift.",
    "Growth prospects remain mediocre, public debt very high, and the labor market severely fragmented.",
    "The central task is to achieve a lasting reduction in public debt while nurturing the recovery and social cohesion.",
    "The government’s goal of achieving structural fiscal balance by 2018 is laudable but ambitious—with almost two percent of GDP of measures yet to be identified.",
    "Tapping Belgium’s full labor market potential requires a comprehensive and inclusive jobs strategy.",
    "Achieve a lasting reduction in public debt while nurturing the recovery and social cohesion.",
    "Identify and implement almost two percent of GDP of additional measures needed to reach structural fiscal balance by 2018.",
    "Policies taken include wage moderation and a tax shift to support job creation.",
    "Recommendation: adopt a comprehensive and inclusive jobs strategy to tap full labor market potential.",
    "Wage moderation.",
    "Pension reform.",
    "A tax shift.",
    "**_cr1677**"
  ],
  "related": [
    {
      "title": "_cr1677",
      "role": "document",
      "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/-/media/websites/imf/imported-full-text-pdf/external/pubs/ft/scr/2016/_cr1677.pdf",
      "summary": {
        "path": "/-/media/websites/imf/imported-full-text-pdf/external/pubs/ft/scr/2016/_cr1677.pdf.md",
        "mime": "text/markdown"
      },
      "binary": {
        "path": "/-/media/websites/imf/imported-full-text-pdf/external/pubs/ft/scr/2016/_cr1677.pdf",
        "mime": "application/pdf"
      }
    }
  ],
  "alternates": {
    "markdown": "/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/belgium-2016-article-iv-consultation-press-release-staff-report-43768/index.md",
    "json": "/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/belgium-2016-article-iv-consultation-press-release-staff-report-43768/index.json",
    "bundleManifest": "/en/publications/cr/issues/2016/12/31/belgium-2016-article-iv-consultation-press-release-staff-report-43768/bundle-manifest.json"
  },
  "generatedAtUtc": "2026-09-13T18:49:25.093Z"
}