Under the leadership of the Minister (MR) of the Economy, Willy BORSUS, the Walloon government has decided to grant new specific compensation for businesses whose economic activity is impacted by the work on the Liège tram. “ The impact of the accumulating work continues to be felt on the economic activity of downtown Liège, which is characterized by an exceptional commercial concentration with more than 1,600 businesses. Various problems still arise: particularly difficult accessibility for customers or deliveries, postponed or relocated public transport stops, severely disrupted accessibility and car parking, noise pollution, etc. Liège traders have recorded declines in turnover ranging from from -30% to -60% since the start of the work. For these reasons, many businesses have unfortunately disappeared. Therefore, additional regional support is important and necessary, in order to support the 3,300 jobs concerned and to guarantee the economic and commercial vitality of the city center. “, said the minister.
Given the exceptional situation of the site, therefore, a new subsidy of €3,620,000 was granted yesterday to the City of Liège in order to compensate traders impacted by the Tram work, for the period from July 1, 2024 to December 31 2024. Willy Borsus recalls that in September 2022, the Walloon government already granted a subsidy of €6,000,000 to the City of Liège so that it could compensate traders impacted by delays caused by the Liège Tram works. An identical grant was renewed in December 2023.
These subsidies normally made it possible to compensate 1,007 traders in 2022 and 1,104 in 2023. Over the last 3 years, the minister accounts for €15,620,000 for impacted traders to which is added €5,000,000 from the Integrated City Policy in 2022, or €20,620,000 from the Region in 3 years.
“We consider this decision to be a mockery of the Liège economic world. (…) This press release, supposed to calm us down during the electoral period, has just shaken us because it shows a lack of respect for the Liège economic community.“, immediately asserted the president of Commerce Liégeois, Jean-Luc Vasseur. “Halving the tram compensation for 2024 is unacceptable, especially since errors were made in the figures communicated: the compensation for 2022 was €11,000,000 and not €6,000,000, and there is more of 1,700 businesses impacted, not 1,600.”
According to him, few traders will receive the €7,000 announced per trader and the compensation should be as high as the first, of €11,000,000, “and even this sum was insufficient given the damage caused and the closures of businesses in the city center“.
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