The National Bank (NBB) is not assisting Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten (Groen) in developing a proposal to allow energy companies that record surplus profits to make a crisis contribution.
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The minister had requested the bank on Tuesday to further elaborate such a measure, but the NBB, through vice-governor Steven Vanackere, stated on Thursday that it would not do so.
‘The NBB must objectify data and make it available to politicians. But we are not going to work in policy terms and certainly will not be writing bills. It is up to politicians to make political decisions, not to the National Bank,” Vanackere said on Thursday Channel Z.
On Tuesday, Van der Straeten labeled the ‘excessive profits’ made by companies in strategic sectors such as energy as ‘a real danger to our economy and the country’. The minister finds it ‘no longer justifiable that the nuclear power stations Doel 1, Doel 2 and Tihange 1 make exuberant profits, but are exempt from a distribution contribution.’
Engie Electrabel pays virtually no distributions for the nuclear reactors Doel 1 and 2 and Tihange 1, except for an amount of 20 million euros for the energy transition fund. The other nuclear power stations contribute 38 percent of the profit as a distribution contribution, which according to calculations by the Creg for the years 2022-2024 should amount to between 529.68 million euros and 683.92 million euros. Van der Straeten does not think this is sufficient and therefore wanted the NBB to make a proposal.
“Our job is to investigate things and map the economy,” spokesman Geert Sciot clarified the position of the NBB on Friday. opposite The time† ‘We want to do study work and supply data. But developing a tax measure is not one of our competences. The National Bank is not a government institution. We must guard our neutral position.’
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