The city authorities in Ghent have agreed a major savings plan needed to shore up public finances in the East Flemish capital. 350 jobs are to go. The authorities say most of the jobs are internal roles and local people will notice little of the redundancies.
Ghent employs a staff of 7,000. The workforce is being cut by 5%. 400 people are being made redundant. But 50 new roles are also being filled.
The redundancies affect a number of management positions. There are cutbacks at the communication department and savings are also being made on culture.
The savings plan that saves 120 million euros is needed to shore up the city’s finances. Ghent is heavily indebted in comparison with other towns.
The city also plans to sell over 100 buildings. A 190-euro tax is being slapped on student digs and parking on Sundays that was free until now will be charged.
Cleanliness and safety become city priorities. The city refuse company and the police are getting more staff.