Tax relief is on its way as the Belgian Government has announced that it will be reducing VAT on electricity from 21 to 6 percent. The lowered sales tax rate will remain in effect until at least the end of 2015. The initiative is part of an Economic Stimulus Pact, or ESP, that is aimed at boosting...

When it appeared it could get no worse, the ongoing Justice Palace renovation has been hit with more bad news only days following a bomb scare hoax. Seemingly never-ending, the renovation demands of the Brussels’ landmark building have grown to include the scaffolding itself. The familiar long-time...

Belgium’s Queen Mathilde will kick-off her Asian tour Wednesday when she arrives in Hong Kong for a three-day visit. Although the itinerary for her Majesty and a 300-person Belgian trade delegation will be primarily focused on business and finance, strengthening cultural relations will also be on...

The arrival of Ryanair at Brussels Airport risks bringing with it more noise nuisance for the residents of Brussels, according to the mayor of Woluwe-Saint-Pierre, one of the municipalities lying under the airport's flight paths. According to Benoît Cerexhe , Brussels Airport ought to remain a city...

Flanders still has no intention of taking part in the financing of a new national football stadium planned for Parking C of the Heysel complex, sports minister Philippe Muyters repeated this week in the Flemish parliament, despite a report which suggested that the project was not feasible without...

Citizens, companies and government departments now have easy access to all available geographical data on Flanders and Brussels via the portal site Geopunt.be. The online application was presented yesterday during a meeting of the Flemish Geographical Information Agency in Ghent. On the site, you...

A tax paid by every household in Flanders for the maintenance and renovation of the sewer network was used by municipalities for its intended purpose, the Association of Flemish Towns and Municipalities has said. The association was responding to a report from the Flemish Environment Agency (VMM),...

Belgium’s food banks have issued an urgent appeal for donations, as some locations are now having to turn people away because of a shortage of provisions. At Moeders voor Moeders (MvM) in Antwerp, the organisation best known for its work with foundlings, are at this point only catering to those...

The Maison Autrique, built in 1893, was one of architect Victor Horta’s first major commissions and this alone makes the fully restored house worth the visit. The temporary exhibition Shadows & Lanterns (until January 26) is an added bonus, enhancing the fin-de-siècle flavour of the place. With...

The low-cost airline Ryanair will begin flights out of Brussels Airport from February, with 10 new destinations, the company announced at a press conference yesterday in Brussels. Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary said Brussels would be the airline’s second hub in Belgium after Charleroi and promised the...