Prime Minister Viktor Orbán signed a development agreement worth in excess of HUF 120 billion in Kaposvár with Mayor Károly Szita (Fidesz-KDNP).
The Prime Minister, who paid a visit to Kaposvár as part of the Modern Cities Programme, pointed out at the joint press conference regarding the agreement: with the upgrading of main road No. 67 into a four-lane express road from a budget of HUF 77 billion, Kaposvár will be connected to the country’s network of express roads which may be completed by 2019, at the latest.
Additionally, the intermodal transport hub of the Somogy County seat will be erected, the theatre will be refurbished, a sports hall and a swimming pool will be constructed, and the camp site will be upgraded. The Prime Minister and the Mayor also agreed on infrastructure developments.
Before speaking about the details of the agreement concluded with the City of Kaposvár regarding the allocation of development funds worth HUF 122 billion, the Prime Minister cited a passage from the signed text, pointing out that this clearly defines the objective of the Modern Cities Programme: “these proud cities should become the winners of the 21st century and the flagships of the development of the Hungarian provinces, and should be among the most successful and most modern European cities in the future”.
Mr Orbán said it is important to highlight in the context of the programme that what the cities in the provinces need should not be decided in Budapest but should be resolved upon locally.
“This is an old love story between Kaposvár and our political family; we have been able to boast for a very long time that not only did we succeed in gaining the confidence of the people who live here but we have also succeeded in retaining it. Mr Szita is one of the country’s longest-standing mayors in office, which is quite obviously a manifestation of trust on the part of the citizens of Kaposvár”, the Prime Minister said.
“We are grateful to this city, and if there is any impartiality (…), signs of this impartiality may be traced in the agreement”, Mr Orbán said, reiterating that Kaposvár continued to stand by Fidesz and Mayor Károly Szita also after the 2002 elections.
The Prime Minister reminded his audience that the Government has in recent years “removed from the city’s shoulders” a debt of some HUF 19.3 billion, and the city has in the past 3 to 4 years had access to development funds in the magnitude of HUF 38.3 billion via different channels from the central budget which is “a remarkable performance by Hungarian standards, and a great opportunity, too”.
In mentioning the main items of the agreement, Mr Orbán stated: a two-by-two-lane express road avoiding populated areas will be built between Kaposvár and the M7 motorway by 2018 or 2019, the Kaposvár Transport Hub will be built from an allocation of HUF 12 billion, a new sports hall accommodating four thousand spectators has been erected from HUF 4 billion, a new, indoor, ten-lane competition swimming pool will be built with 800 spectator seats from a budget of HUF 4 billion, there is an allocation of HUF 9 billion for the refurbishment of the Csiky Gergely Theatre, there will be 250 new parking spaces and a park in the place of the southern block of the hospital, a three-star camp site will be developed by the nearby Deseda Lake, and the city may use HUF 2 billion for urban infrastructure development.
“We have every reason to hope that those responsible for the economy within the government are pursuing the right direction, and we have every reason to hope that the rest of the measures which are necessary for Hungary’s economic growth will be adopted during the course of this year, and we shall consequently have the economic foundations which permit the implementation of the agreement signed here today in full”, Mr Orbán said.
In answer to a journalist’s question regarding the schedule of the developments, the Prime Minister said: politicians have a fixed mandate, and they would therefore like to complete the projects during the present governmental and municipal election cycle; in other words, it is necessary to get down to the job in hand immediately.
Károly Szita (Fidesz-KDNP), Mayor of Kaposvár, took the view that the agreement just signed „is an historic moment for the city”, speaking about which he said: “we have today determined the future of our city for a long period, and we are today closer to the attainment of our objectives; Kaposvár may change up a gear because it is now on the fast track”.
The Mayor said: this agreement provides the opportunity for all those to find work who have not yet done so. The most important goal in Kaposvár is “for everyone who wants to work to find employment”, he pointed, adding: not only for the residents of Kaposvár but also for those who live in the vicinity as one half of those working in Kaposvár commute from the surrounding localities.
“Kaposvár has become a strong city, unemployment has decreased, the economy has gained in strength, and our city has developed spectacularly”, the Mayor stressed, adding: they have already determined the direction of development for the next few years, based on which the food economy, machine industry and the development of tourism are the three main areas which are expected to generate new jobs.