Making payment arrangements or borrowing from family: people take advantage of everything to make ends meet. No less than 42 percent of the Dutch had one or more payment problems in the past year, according to research by budget adviser Nibud. “The Dutch are burdened by high fixed costs and rising expenses,” says Nibud director Arjan Vliegenthart. Three payment problems played the most in the past year, according to the Getting By and payment problems report that the Nibud presents on Saturday. It is then about no longer being able…
Read MoreDay: November 12, 2022
Chicory : a small agricultural niche in a world of crisis
Unknown is unloved: that is sometimes said of chicory, since its production and consumption takes place mainly in Europe. The rest of the world knows almost nothing about it. Yet the chicory sector is one to cherish and fight for. The product has many advantages, but the production process suffers from the energy crisis. The witloofevent par excellence is without a doubt the witloof Biennale. After a successful edition in Etten-leur in the Netherlands, the event could not continue for 4 years due to the corona pandemic. This year it…
Read MoreBelgium will have almost complete 5G coverage by the end of 2025
Orange wants 90 percent of Belgium to have 5G coverage by the end of 2025. For this, however, political decision-making, such as for coverage in the Wallonia subregion, must be well regulated. According to the Belgian operator, 40 percent of Belgium will have 5G coverage by the end of 2023. By the end of 2025, it should be 90 percent. Orange Belgium indicates that the country is still well behind in the field of 5G with other countries in which the originally French operator is active. This must change quickly,…
Read MoreBelgium and the rest of the euro zone are in recession, European Commission states
The European Union, the euro zone and most of the member states will enter a recession during the last quarter of this year. That’s what the European Commission expects, it writes in its new economic growth outlook on Friday. Despite this, economic growth in the euro zone is expected to remain at 3.2 percent throughout 2022, before falling back to 0.3 percent in 2023. As far as Belgium is concerned, the Commission forecasts economic growth of 2.8% this year and 0.2% next year. Inflation would peak at 10.4 percent this…
Read MoreEngie approaching record breaking €100 billion in revenue during 2022
French energy group Engie has raised its 2022 revenue and profit targets after the company released its third quarter results on Thursday. Revenue for the first nine months of 2022 stood at €69.3 billion, which is almost double compared to what it generated during the first 9 months of 2021. This has been driven by higher energy prices and growth in most of its operations around the world, as well as expansion into renewable energies. With an EBITDA of €10.7 billion for the first three quarters of 2022, the company…
Read MoreMore than 5,000 mortgage payment deferrals granted by banks
Belgian banks have issued more than 5,000 payment deferrals on mortgages since the introduction of support measures on 1 October, Febelfin said on Thursday. These measures were implemented in response to Belgian households struggling to meet their monthly instalments as a result of rising energy prices and record inflation. Customers who qualify for the support are able to demand up to 12 months of deferral on their repayments. The affected borrowers do not need to repay the capital of their mortgage, only interest during this period. This government support measure…
Read MoreWorld’s best vegetarian restaurants: Two Belgian establishments in top 10
We’re Smart – a Belgian organisation that highlights more ecological ways of shopping and eating out – has released this year’s Green Guide, which names the best vegetarian restaurants in the world. The top ten features two Belgian eateries. The gastronomic guide created by Belgian chef Frank Fol lists the top 100 finest vegetarian restaurants in the world, with the most recent edition being unveiled at the Barcelona Gastronomy Forum on Tuesday. While this year’s winner comes from the Netherlands (the Nieuwe Winkel in Nijmegen led by chef Emile van…
Read MoreMayor of Schaerbeek reacts to Thursday murder of police officer
The acting mayor of Schaerbeek, Cécile Jodogne (DéFI) deplored the murder of a police officer who was attacked on Thursday in the municipality’s red-light district. She denounced the lack of action taken by the Federal Government and announced additional safety measures in response. News broke out on Thursday evening that two police officers on patrol on Rue d’Aerschot, in the city’s red-light district, were attacked by a man wielding a knife. Both policemen were wounded before the assailant was apprehended and taken into police custody. One of the officers died…
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