The Ninove town council has decided to abolish a €20,000 subsidy earmarked each year for development aid and the development cooperation council.
Forza Ninove, the far-right party holding the absolute majority in the East Flanders town, confirmed this to VRT NWS on Monday.
Mayor Guy D’Haeseleer believes development aid is not a municipal responsibility and that the budget can better serve local interests. “We will use this money for language courses and activation,” he said.
The decision comes on the heels of the cessation of funding for town's 'Babbelonïe' integration project, and the non-renewal of its 'Fair Trade Town' title.
Forza Ninove had claimed that the title caused the prices of goods in the town to shoot up, a claim dismissed by Groen parliamentarian Jordy De Dobbeleer.
Under the Babbelonie Project, dozens of non-Dutch speakers are helped each week to converse in Dutch and to make friends.
The move to cut funding prompted sympathisers to go on a campaign to raise the money needed to keep it going for another year.
In January, they reached their target of €11,000, according to VRT NWS.
