According to the latest flash report of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH), in January 2012 the volume of exports and imports increased by 5.8 percent and 2.9 percent, respectively, in comparison to the corresponding period of the previous year. The trade balance in the first month of the year had a surplus of 129bn HUF.
A dress designed by a young architect sewn from tiny wooden slats inspired by Hungarian folk architecture won the Rethink/re-button! Magyar is the Mode Contest contest invited for the second time by Design Terminal, a background institution of the Ministry of Public Administration and Justice. A record number of 1000 entries were submitted this year.
Pál Schmitt has resigned as President of the Republic. He announced his resignation in a pre-agenda address in Parliament.
Hungary highly values and cherishes the memory of Raoul Wallenberg, the martyr Swedish diplomat. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, the Government of Hungary decided to declare the year 2012 as Wallenberg Year and to set up a Commemorative Committee. This anniversary is a good occasion to draw lessons from the past, and to review, in their light, current human rights and minority issues, and to address the future and the young generations.
The objective of the fixed exchange rate loan system is to cushion the impact of the substantial volatility of the exchange rates of certain foreign currencies and make more calculable the situation of FX debtors. People involved can request the scheme from this week, starting 2 April 2012, from the financial institution which has provided the loan.
The Hungarian Government presented its official responses today – before the deadline – to the European Commission on two ongoing infringement procedures (retirement of judges, independence of the data protection authority), and on two other questions under scrutiny (independence of the Hungarian National Bank, independence of the judiciary).
The Minister of State for Health Mr. Miklós Szócska and Magor Papp, president of the Hungarian Residents’ Association at the Semmelweis University began together to shred the notices of denunciation previously deposited by the residents.
The state budget according to EU methodology had for 2011 a surplus of 1204.6bn HUF which corresponds to the 4.3 percent of GDP. The budget deficit excluding one-off items was 2.43 percent instead of the 2.94 percent which had been assumed. This is an outstanding achievement considering prior domestic results and data of other countries as well.
The researchers of the American Harvard and MIT universities concluded a study on economic complexity last year. The atlas analyzes the foreign trade of 128 countries and sets up an economic growth ranking which is based on the so-called Economic Complexity Index (ECI). The basis for the analysis is the quantity and complexity of exported goods and the frequency of exports. Consequently, services and non-export goods were not included in the study.
The opening of a Daimler-Benz factory in central Hungary's Kecskemet is one of the greatest recent achievements for the country, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said at the opening ceremony on Thursday.