Belgian finance minister Jan Jambon is spearheading a reform initiative aimed at making shopping within Belgium more attractive and curbing the widespread practice of cross-border shopping. This price disparity is largely attributed to higher inflation and the standard 21% VAT rate in Belgium, contrasting with France’s more interventionist approach to keeping food prices down. He told Flemish broadcaster VRT that this will not only reduce prices in Belgium, thereby discouraging cross-border shopping, but could also lead to an increase in overall government revenue. ADVERTISEMENTAs his spokesperson, Ilse Coopman, highlighted, “There is a clear difference between the price of certain products just across the border and in Belgium. Beyond these initial steps, the federal government plans to examine which other duties and levies can be reduced to further limit cross-border shopping.