Prime Minister Viktor Orbán gave an interview to Kossuth Radió this morning. With relation to the tobacconist concession, the Prime Minister said that the Government is searching for legal possibilities that might enable those tobacconists who have made their living from tobacco retail to not lose their income. The number of people affected is currently being summarized.

The Prime Minister justified the tender by the Government's intention to reduce the number of shops that stock tobacco products from 44,000 to 5,000. He said that the overhaul, which is underpinned by public health factors, is linked to the Government's economic policy aimed at equitably distributing the profits of the tobacco trade so that Hungarian companies are prioritized instead of multinational companies. According to government estimations, the profits of Hungarian SMEs could be doubled.

He also said that after the conclusion of contracts, all data will be accessible by everyone, adding that the concession contracts will clearly include the applicants' commitments.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared that Hungary has done what had been expected and has reduced its budget deficit to under the required EU level, adding that if the EU keeps to its principles, particularly the principle of equal treatment and justice, then they must now lift the excessive budget deficit procedure.

He pointed out that Hungarian management of the economic crisis is successful, and exactly in those fields in which Hungary acts differently than most of the EU member states, mentioning as an example the introduction of a high bank tax and low personal income tax, as well as the reduction of public utility charges and the pension system overhaul.

Prime Minister Orbán stated that due to the slowness of the Hungarian judicial system, people accused of committing serious crimes have been released recently, because verdicts have been reached in their cases after four years of proceedings. He emphasized that a thorough investigation is necessary to eliminate barriers that make it impossible to reach court verdicts. Accordingly, Viktor Orbán asked the Minister of Public Administration and Justice Tibor Navracsics to handle this issue.

(Prime Minister's Office)