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Belgium offers 100 mln euro financial aid to Audi Brussels base

Xinhua, September 25, 2015 Adjust font size:

German carmaker Audi is to receive 100 million euros (about 111.5 million U.S. dollars) in financial aid from Belgium's federal government to support its manufacturing plant in Brussels, local media reported on Friday.

A spokesperson for Belgian finance minister Johan Van Overtveldt confirmed the tax breaks package to Flemish newspaper De Tijd.

Local newspaper group Sudpresse reported that the measures are designed to encourage Audi to choose its Brussels base as the assembly plant for its new Q6 electric car.

According to Sudpresse, the incentives include a reduction in employer social contributions, and tax credits for research and development.

The financial support came after Audi announced that it would stop producing its A1 supermini model locally from the end of 2017 in favor of a plant in Spain.

Edwin Declerck, a representative for trade union FGTB Metal, told Belgian public broadcaster RTBF: "We know we will be given another model to build, to replace the Audi A1, but the only question at the moment is which one."

Declerck added that unions were keen for Audi to reach its decision "as quickly as possible, as we are starting to get worried."

RTBF reported that Audi will decide which model will be built in Brussels by the end of October. Enditem