In October 2015 and in the initial ten months of the year, industrial output rose by 10.1 percent and 7.1 percent, respectively, year-on-year.
In Budapest on Thursday, the Hungarian Grémound Ltd. and Botswanan Biomass Energy Ltd. have signed a EUR 20 million contract on delivering technology for the construction of affordable housing. This is actually the second contract of this kind for Grémound in this region.
Mihály Varga called the phasing out of forex loans one of the most significant economic policy measures and achievements of 2015. In the speech held at the end-of-year assembly of the Hungarian Banking Association, the Minister pointed out that the timely forint conversion of forex mortgages has averted the risk of additional financial burdens for households and the entire banking sector as well. The Government – together with the Hungarian Banking Association and the National Bank of Hungary -- has prevented households, local governments and the state budget from incurring extra debt of some HUF 1000bn, the Minister stressed.
According to the latest report of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), consumer prices were up by 0.5 percent year-on-year in the month of November 2015. Estimates predict inflation of 0 percent for the entire year of 2015.
On Thursday in Belgrade, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó and Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov held talks on world politics and Hungarian-Russian relations.
During the question-and-answer session in Parliament, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the Hungarian public procurement Act is the strictest in Europe.
Hungary’s state budget received some EUR 304bn of EU funding in the month of November 2015, while tax revenues exceeded last year’s level by HUF 665bn.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has written a letter to mark Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights, addressed to President of the Hungarian Autonomous Orthodox Jewish Religious Community Eduárd Deblinger, Head of the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation Slomó Köves and President of the Federation of Hungarian Jewish Communities András Heisler. In the letter, the Prime Minister wrote that “During these days we remember God’s miracles, and by lighting more and more candles we show that the time for celebration, thanksgiving and joy has come”.
In reference to the Visegrád countries’ (V4) summit held in Prague, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács told daily papers Magyar Hírlap and Magyar Idők on Saturday that European solidarity is not measured by “some kind of quotas” or forced measures, but by EU Member States jointly and decisively stepping up in the interest of common issues.
On Monday, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács told public television channel M1 that cooperation is needed to protect the Schengen borders.