On 14 January 2011, Prime Minister Dr Viktor Orbán, Minister for National Development Dr Tamás Fellegi and Minister of the National Economy Dr György Matolcsy presented the new Széchenyi Plan in Budapest. Numerous politicians and public figures attended the inaugural meeting in Budapest Mariott Hotel along with all business, non-profit, local government and non-government partners, who have contributed to the elaboration of the New Széchenyi Plan with their useful proposals.
Dr. Tamás Fellegi informed the participants that the Government has remade each and every element in the development policy system in order to facilitate the survival and growth of businesses that intend to apply for the tender. The minister emphasised that the Government has set the development policy objectives in a way to allow the individual sector-specific projects to mutually reinforce one another’s impacts and realise in a way to reduce regional discrepancies in the country.
The minister pointed out that the Government had given up the previous practice of managing unreasonable ideas that served personal interests as high priority projects, which had actually taken money, time and energy from genuinely indispensable and carefully considered projects in public interest, frequently prepared and designed from the parties’ own funds. The new development policy has a far more efficient institutional system, a far simpler grant procedure and regulatory framework. The 24 applicable statutory provisions have been replaced by a single government decree. The Government had streamlined the tender procedure at numerous points to allow businesses access to the funds as fast and efficiently as possible, Dr. Tamás Fellegi added. As examples he quoted, among others, electronic tender applications, the simplification of making statements, shorter forms, faster procedures and payments.
Dr. Tamás Fellegi announced the invitation of 93 new tenders by the Government for HUF 1,100 billion supported from an increased amount of earmarked funds. This is sufficient to cover the funding requirements of all businesses struggling with the shortage of funds. During elaboration on the National Programmes, the Minister highlighted that in addition to supporting individual initiatives, the New Széchenyi Plan must also consider the realisation of national objectives. While drafting them, the Minister explained, the Government would pay attention to the equilibrium between the various regions and provide the conditions of a balanced progress. Among various other things, Dr Fellegi listed the road construction programmes, minor road and cycle track development, the construction of several new bridges, and the adoption of an up-to-date transport security and organisation communication system based on GSM technology. He also mentioned the Ancient Drava Programme, the Lake Tisza projects, the commencing renovation of the Buda Castle, the Talentis Programme and the ELI super laser programme in Szeged, as well as the renovation of the Puskás Ferenc Stadium and the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen. The minister also touched upon the Korányi Project, which included health development, and the customer service network to be set up in public administration offices.
From this date the tenders are accessible on the revised official site of the New Széchenyi Plan at www.ujszechenyiterv.gov.hu. The minister closed his lecture by calling the attention to the websites of the National Development Agency and the Hungarian Economy Development Centre, as well as the customer services of development agencies, where all the information is accessible.
Ministry of National Development, Department of Communication
