Belgium will be introducing a kilometre tax for lorries as of April 2016. This is hovering above the head of the logistic sector like a dark cloud. The tax will replace the current Eurovignette that the transporters need at the moment and the Belgians claim this is intended to divide the 'environmental and infrastructure costs' more fairly.
Huge cost difference
According to Jochen Borremans of Bingo Trans in Sint-Katelijne-Waver it will be far more expensive than before. "We now have an idea of what the impact will be as far as costs are concerned. But you also have to sell it to your customers. We pay a Eurovignette of 1,250 Euro per year per truck. If you look at the kilometres we do per year, a kilometre tax would work out to over 10,000 Euro per year per truck. That's almost tenfold. We have 7 trucks, so we would lose around 70,000 Euro. That's a huge difference."
Competition from Eastern Europe
Besides the kilometre tax the logistic companies are also dealing with competition from Eastern Europe. Drivers from those countries are paid a lot less than a Belgian driver. "In the fruit and vegetable sector itself we aren't too bothered by it yet, but logistics wide it's a huge problem. It's very difficult to compete." Transport unions in Belgium have indicated to the government that, if the kilometre tax is introduced, they want compensation: the reduction of the wages of a Belgian driver. This is what the entire political conversation is now about and the question is how far the government will go with it. The difficult part of this type of problem is that certain laws are in a Belgian framework and related matters are dealt with Europe wide. The laws in the different countries regularly clash. They talk about a 'Europe', but there isn't one."
The customers of transport companies are already being prepared for the rise in cost. "There is nothing set yet, but if they introduce the tariffs that are being talked about, we'll be facing tens of thousands more Euro per year. If your a transporter in both Belgium and the Netherlands, you have an extra problem. In the Netherlands you do still need the Eurovignette."
For more information:
Jochen Borremans
Bingo Trans BVBA
Industriezone Sint-Katelijne-Waver Z. 1
Kempenarestraat 64 - Bus 1
BE-2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver
Tel. : +32 15 85 89 71
Fax : +32 15 85 89 72
jbo@bingotrans.be
www.bingotrans.be
For more information:
Jochen Borremans
Bingo Trans BVBA
Industriezone Sint-Katelijne-Waver Z. 1
Kempenarestraat 64 - Bus 1
BE-2860 Sint-Katelijne-Waver
Tel. : +32 15 85 89 71
Fax : +32 15 85 89 72
jbo@bingotrans.be
www.bingotrans.be