At his government spokesperson’s press conference on Friday, Minister of State for Government Communication Zoltán Kovács gave an account of the decisions made at the government cabinet meeting, measures related to the Széll Kálmán Plan, and measures coming into force on 1 July.
Mr. Kovács said that the Transatlantic Week, which was attended by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, had placed great stress on diplomatic relations and on Hungarian-American relations.
Several issues were raised at the previous day’s brief, intensive cabinet session in connection with the vote on amendments due the following week, and the final vote of 11 July. According to the Minister of State, the amendment known as the ‘crisps tax’ (or ‘chips tax’), which is expected to come into force in September, will be submitted to Parliament in the form originally intended by the government: i. e. the proportion of sugar, dry matter, and concentrates in processed food will be taken into account.
Except for the Act on higher and public education – which will be finalised in the autumn parliamentary session – the Government has in essence fulfilled its commitments in the Széll Kálmán Plan planned for completion by 1 July. The Government’s main aim is for the country to escape from its debt trap, and one of the Széll Kálmán Plan’s commitments – to reduce state debt – has already borne fruit, in an immediate reduction from 81 to 77 percent, Mr. Kovács said. Twenty-one professional working groups were involved in preparation of the Széll Kálmán Plan, and they met on around ninety occasions. The Government has made decisions on ten themes, and it has succeeded in setting goals on these.
Mr. Kovács also reported on the planned results of the Szell Kálmán Programme. The system of pharmaceutical financing has been transformed, the pharmaceutical budget improved, and the Government has taken steps to promote sustainability in this area. The Minister of State pointed out that the population’s energy bills doubled between 2002 and 2010. The Government sought to control these costs, and this was effected with the new gas regulation, which came into force on 1 January. He added that as a result, the financial burden for two-thirds of the population has not increased, or only minimally. A long-range concept is being prepared, which will keep the costs of overheads under control, he said.
Consultations aimed at reducing bureaucracy affecting businesses took place the previous day, and the comments made during these will be incorporated in the draft to be discussed in the autumn session. The Minister of State outlined the aim of a simplified state apparatus, which could make Hungary an investor-friendly country, and the public procurement Act being put to the vote on 11 July. Mr. Kovács said that 1 September will see the start of the public works programme, which is seen as a vehicle allowing people to return to the labour market. Károly Papp, the new Deputy Minister of State at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, will soon give information on this system of public employment, he said.
The Minister of State went on to speak of other developments: the drawing up of a dual vocational training system, development of a career model for public servants and revision of the system for registering for invalidity benefit have begun; and negotiations with trade unions related to pensions linked to early retirement are continuing. The Government has implemented regulations to prevent the abuse of sick leave, and accepted the Semmelweis Plan, which summarises sectoral conceptions. The development of public administration is being realised as part of the Magyary Programme, and negotiations with professional organisations as part of the Local Government Act have also been completed, he said.
Mr. Kovács also discussed the measures coming into force on 1 July. From that day, the moratorium on property auctions was suspended, but property being auctioned may only be sold gradually, within a system which allows an increasing number to be sold each year. Large families may submit their applications for gas bill subsidies between 1 July and 30 September. The Minister of State promised to make a statement on the details of the Széchenyi Leisure Card later, and he drew attention to the changes to the Highway Code, valid from 1 July.
(kormany.hu)
