"The 2012 budget is taking on the implementation of highly significant structural reforms on a scale never before seen", announced Viktor Orbán on Thursday in Budapest at the event held to mark the issuing of the 150 thousandth Széchenyi Card and the first Agrarian Széchényi Card. The Prime Minister stressed, "The role of agriculture has become more important as a result of the crisis within the EU, and so we now view agriculture as a key break-out point." "The development of the economy cannot occur purely for its own sake", said the Prime Minister, "it is only worth pursuing if it serves the interests of society."

László Krisán, CEO of the KAVOSZ (the joint corporation of the National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers, and the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, that runs the Széchenyi Card system, Ed.), evoked the moment when the Széchényi Card was born. It was 2200 days, 9 years ago, when Viktor Orbán came to an agreement with Sándor Demján (Executive President of the VOSZ, Ed.) that the Széchenyi Card system would be created to aid small and medium-sized businesses. At the time, there were ten enquiries-a-week with regard to the new credit opportunity while today, 100 applicants-a-day contact KAVOSZ and the consideration period has fallen to just 15 days.

Sándor Demján viewed the issuing of the Széchenyi Card as a huge success in economic history. The President of the National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers (VOSZ) welcomed with great enthusiasm the fact that agricultural entrepreneurs and businesses are now also finally able to receive the card. The president stressed that agriculture had been undeservedly pushed into the background in previous years, despite the fact that agriculture is one of Hungary's workhorse sectors. Today, it is obvious to everyone that food is a valuable resource and that within 10-20 years there will be regions within the Union that will be unable to produce enough food to supply their resident population. Sándor Demján called agriculture the most efficient business sector, which must also be maintained through the of the Agrarian Széchenyi Card; the accumulated practical knowledge found within the agrarian sector must be preserved and passed on to future generations.

At the event, Minister of Rural Development Sándor Fazekas ceremoniously presented the first Agrarian Széchenyi Card to József Major, Managing Director of Határmenti Korona Ltd, and to Béla Darvalics, representative of DA-BI Ltd.

The Agrarian Széchenyi Card may be applied for by certified small producers, family-run farms, and small and medium-sized businesses dealing with forest, game or fish management. The minimum credit of the one, two or three-year loan is 500.000 Ft, up to a maximum of 25 million Ft. The Hungarian State provides a 2% interest subsidy and a collateral commitment fee subsidy for the loan construction.

(Press Office of the Ministry of Rural Development)