reform
March 05, 2010, 09:49 CET
European Conservatives and Reformists leader praises Bokros' ideas
The head of the EP group of European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) said on Thursday that the ideas of conservative Democratic Forum PM-candidate Lajos Bokros would be "the best for Hungary". "The Forum's PM-candidate has mature ideas about how Hungary... [read complete entry]
March 05, 2010, 09:47 CET
EU Commissioner Andor calls for strong pension reform
EU pension systems need to be overhauled, especially in terms of changing the age of retirement, not because of the economic crisis but due to an aging population, Laszlo Andor, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, told MTI... [read complete entry]
June 12, 2009, 02:46 CET
AmCham urges additional reforms to improve Hungary's competitiveness
The American Chamber of Commerce welcomes the Hungarian government's tax plans but urges additional steps to improve the country's overall competitiveness, AmCham told MTI on Friday. There are several positive components of the planned tax system changes, but much more... [read complete entry]
June 09, 2009, 09:40 CET
Markets hold breath as analysts see Bajnai staying in power, continuing reforms
Hungary's political parties, with the "somewhat worrying" exception of the radical party Jobbik, performed as expected in Sunday's European Parliamentary election, and the most likely outcome is that the government of Gordon Bajnai will stay in place, London-based financial analysts... [read complete entry]
March 17, 2009, 08:46 CET
Gov't disavows proposals of "reform alliance"
Hungary's government does not support the proposals submitted by a group of experts, said a document leaked to MTI on Monday.... [read complete entry]
March 17, 2009, 08:43 CET
Economy Minister warns of currency crisis, "social collapse" without deep reform
Hungary will witness a currency crisis this year unless the government implements radical structural reforms, the economy minister said in an interview to Monday's Nepszabadsag daily.... [read complete entry]
March 11, 2009, 07:49 CET
Central Bank president says longer wait for reform will increase "bloodletting"
The longer Hungary waits to start changes, the greater the "bloodletting" society will have to suffer and the longer the instability will be, National Bank of Hungary governor Andras Simor said on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
February 20, 2009, 12:29 CET
Gyurcsány urges immediate backing for gov't crisis management plan
Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany on Friday urged immediate backing for his anti-crisis measures at a meeting of employer and employee representatives.... [read complete entry]
February 16, 2009, 10:44 CET
Opposition slams PM's planned reform of tax, pension and welfare systems
Hungary's opposition Fidesz party on Sunday criticized the prime minister's plans to change the tax, welfare and pension system.... [read complete entry]
February 10, 2009, 09:52 CET
Gyurcsány claims pending tax reform biggest in 20 years
The government is making preparations for the most comprehensive tax reform of the past 20 years, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany told reporters on Monday.... [read complete entry]
January 28, 2009, 09:01 CET
Gyurcsány says gov't will focus tax reform on cutting social contributions
Hungary has no room for big tax cuts but the payroll tax system should be changed, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
January 26, 2009, 01:01 CET
Employer's association proposes suspension of capital gains tax
Hungarian industrialists suggested the government to consider the suspension of capital gains tax for a couple of years to increase people's inclination for savings and purchasing government securities, the head of their organisation told the press on Sunday.... [read complete entry]
January 26, 2009, 10:51 CET
Poll finds support for reform measures, but limited appetite for personal sacrifice
Most Hungarians supported an array of hypothetical reforms put to them by a polling firm as possible solutions to handling the current financial and economic crisis, said Monday's Nepszabadsag daily.... [read complete entry]
December 01, 2008, 08:07 CET
Academy of Sciences, business leaders set up new "reform alliance"
A group of top economic leaders and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences have established a reform alliance, Academy of Sciences President Jozsef Palinkas told a Friday news conference.... [read complete entry]
September 19, 2008, 04:41 CET
Gyurcsány tells foreign business leaders "moderate" reforms only way forward
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany told business leaders on Friday that his minority Socialist government would pursue a programme of moderate and continuous reforms rather than shock therapy.... [read complete entry]
September 19, 2008, 01:05 CET
Hungary's "professor of reform" headed for "D+"
Former finance minister and current Central European University CEO/professor Lajos Bokros, who is widely credited with bringing Hungary back from the fiscal brink in the mid-90s, has of late been loudly pushing for the government to get its finances in... [read complete entry]
September 19, 2008, 01:03 CET
Finance Minister takes credit for jump in Hungary's "Doing Business" ranking
Reforms carried out by the government in the past two years had much to do with Hungary's nine-spot advance on the World Bank's latest Doing Business ranking, Finance Minister Janos Veres said on Thursday.... [read complete entry]
September 16, 2008, 03:30 CET
Although now less of a concern, corruption still a problem
Corruption is a significant issue for not only the corporate world, but also the political one, an international survey conducted by Ernst & Young found, napi.hu reported. After interviewing 1,186 corporate leaders from 64 countries, 61% said that they felt... [read complete entry]
September 12, 2008, 05:58 CET
Leading economist says gov't tax plan would change little for most Hungarians
Tax changes proposed by the government would do little to change the tax burden for Hungarians, Andras Vertes, head of economic think tank GKI, told MTI.... [read complete entry]
September 03, 2008, 02:34 CET
SZDSZ calls BS on PM's tax cut plan, outcome TBA
As of yesterday it looks like the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) has given a thumbs-down to an economic "action plan" floated last week by Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány. As always in Hungary, it's hard to know if this rejection... [read complete entry]
September 03, 2008, 09:16 CET
Gyurcsány warns against steeper tax cuts
The government's 300 billion forint/year (about 1.2 billion euros) tax cut package would keep the government in equilibrium, maintain social security and build economic dynamics, but anything more than that would do the opposite, Hungary's prime minister said in parliament... [read complete entry]
September 03, 2008, 08:52 CET
Employers' group gives cautious welcome to PM's tax plan
The board of the Hungarian Association of Industrialists and Employers (MGYOSZ) welcomes certain elements of an economic stimulus package proposed by the prime minister last week, but taxes could be reduced faster if the resulting loss in revenue was matched... [read complete entry]
August 29, 2008, 04:44 CET
Experts see Hungary's GDP growth capped at 3% for 2008
Analysts polled by MTI on Friday said Hungary's GDP growth is likely to be under 3pc in 2008 in light of figures published in the morning that show falling Q2 investment volume.... [read complete entry]
August 29, 2008, 10:59 CET
Analysts trash Gyurcsány tax package
The prime minister's new tax cut plans will not go very far in its aim of stimulating economic growth and will only benefit a small section of the populace, analysts told business dailies Napi Gazdasag and Vilaggazdasag on Friday. The... [read complete entry]
August 28, 2008, 04:38 CET
Unions, employers' group give cautious support to PM's tax-cut package
The LIGA and MSZOSZ trade unions and the leader of the National Association of Entrepreneurs and Employers (VOSZ) voiced reserved support for the Gyurcsany government's tax-cut package announced on Wednesday.... [read complete entry]
August 27, 2008, 09:23 CET
Gyurcsány outlines Ft 1 trillion tax cut plan
Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany outlined proposals to save taxpayers HUF 1,000bn-1,200bn through tax cuts, reducing red tape drastically and exercising zero tolerance for tax evaders in an article published in Wednesday's issue of daily Nepszabadsag.... [read complete entry]
July 30, 2008, 08:39 CET
Government sheds 13,600 workers in 2006-2007, claims billions in savings
The Hungarian government cut the number of staff at central budget-funded institutions by 13,600 in 2006 and 2007, resulting in net savings of HUF 46bn, Finance Minister Janos Veres said at a press conference on Tuesday.... [read complete entry]
July 29, 2008, 03:14 CET
Liberals, MDF to push government on tax reform
Hungary's two small parliamentary parties, the liberal Free Democrats and the conservative Democratic Forum, may appear to many as an irrelevance given their paltry poll ratings, but their MPs' votes will be crucial to the minority Socialist government when it... [read complete entry]
July 23, 2008, 01:07 CET
Noted economist says investors fed up with Hungary
Renowned economist László Csaba has lashed out at the Hungarian government, saying it has done too little to restore the country's economic competitiveness and credibility. "Investors have run out of patience. Politicians have to decide whether they choose chasing short-term... [read complete entry]
July 23, 2008, 09:04 CET
Consulting firms working on Ft 1 trillion tax cut proposal
Multinational consulting firms are working on their own tax proposals that will be published next month, Népszabadság writes. The proposals include bringing down tax barriers by Ft 1,000 billion in the next few years in order to get the economy... [read complete entry]
July 07, 2008, 02:27 CET
The basics of corruption, Hungarian style
How does corruption really work in Hungary, and what steps can be taken to reduce it? [read complete entry]
July 03, 2008, 12:46 CET
Hungarians equate reforms with austerity, but admit they are necessary
Despite the results of the March 9 referendum, a considerable proportion of the Hungarian population thinks reforms are necessary, even though they usually equate them with cutbacks, writes liberal daily Népszabadság, based on a poll conducted by Marketing Centrum. On... [read complete entry]
June 30, 2008, 09:52 CET
Gyurcsány announces welfare reform plans
The prime minister announces plans to get people off welfare and back to work. [read complete entry]
June 27, 2008, 08:11 CET
Government denies "secret plot" to send pensioners back to work
In a possible development that sounds too sensible to be true in a country where politicians, two years ahead of general elections, are already going out of their way (or minds?) to curry favor with voters, there are whispers of... [read complete entry]
June 13, 2008, 08:36 CET
Government rejects high-profile plan to reform social spending
Hungary' Socialist government, struggling to pinpoint resources to fund tax cuts while reluctant to pare back the country's generous social spending, has brushed off an alternative economic plan by a financial consultancy that proposed revamping social benefits in order to... [read complete entry]
June 05, 2008, 11:40 CET
Leading analyst slams botched reforms, Hungarian work ethic
Leading market analyst Péter Duronelly told portal Index.hu in an April interview we only just picked up on that he sees the government's "reforms" as nothing more than a series of short-term measures to rein in state overspending. Worse still,... [read complete entry]
April 17, 2008, 12:29 CET
Finance Ministry hammers MDF tax proposal
A tax cut package proposed by junior opposition party MDF would strip the central budget of Ft 1.4 trillion, the Finance Ministry said. [read complete entry]
April 15, 2008, 11:46 CET
Poll: Consumers optimistic despite tough times
Consumer confidence rose to a two-year high in January-March as households greeted what they see as an end to the government's belt-tightening measures, economic researcher Ecostat said Friday, citing its latest survey. [read complete entry]
April 10, 2008, 10:14 CET
Prime Minister says some tax cuts are possible, but not radical reforms
If any taxes are to be cut in Hungary in 2009, it will be the 4% company "surtax," Prime Minister Gyurcsány said. [read complete entry]
April 04, 2008, 11:05 CET
Reports conflict on whether government plans to slash another 3,000 jobs
Around 3,000 Hungarian civil servants will see their jobs made redundant this year, after 12,500 were let go in 2007. [read complete entry]
April 03, 2008, 11:35 CET
Hungarian Chamber of Commerce urges overhaul in economic policy
The government's tax cut proposals are too timid to help boost Hungary's stalled economy, the chairman of the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said. [read complete entry]
March 28, 2008, 01:10 CET
Constitutional Court rejects motion against reform program financial laws
The Constitutional Court rejected a motion aimed at striking down the financial law program passed in 2006. [read complete entry]
March 19, 2008, 03:27 CET
Income gap closes as high earners lose out
The gap between mid-income households and high income families in Hungary has closed considerable in recent years, a survey revealed. [read complete entry]
March 18, 2008, 11:18 CET
The only thing less credible than Hungary's government finances are the agencies who rate them
Hungary's government finances lack credibility - but what of the credit-rating agencies that rate them? [read complete entry]
February 21, 2008, 12:03 CET
Pundits see more room for tax cuts if the government tries harder
Pundits weighed in on Ferenc Gyurcsány's state of the nation speech, and saw more room for tax cuts than the prime minister. [read complete entry]
February 19, 2008, 01:11 CET
Gyurcsány's big speech: The economic realities
At least superficially, yesterday's keynote speech to Parliament by Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány was music to the ears of Hungary's increasingly disheartened entrepreneurs, investors, or anyone who believes the country's future lies in a more business-friendly environment. In addition to... [read complete entry]
February 14, 2008, 09:54 CET
Hungary's richest man predicts country will become the EU's poorest
Hungary will become the EU’s poorest country in the next 10-15 years because it has failed to implement needed reforms, Sándor Demján, chairman of property group Trigránit Zrt and Hungary’s wealthiest person, told Figyelő in an interview. In addition to... [read complete entry]
January 29, 2008, 11:42 CET
Hungarian government to launch pro-reform ad campaign
The Hungarian government will spend €3 million on an advertising campaign to promote its reform plans, ahead of a referendum that could spell doom for key reforms in health care and education. [read complete entry]
January 22, 2008, 08:57 CET
Gyurcsány in closed-door reform meeting with industry heads
Trade and industry representatives met with Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány to discuss responsible economic policy and push for reforms. [read complete entry]
December 18, 2007, 11:14 CET
Data show deep decline in Hungary's economic competitiveness
As Hungary stumbles its way through a painful round of public-sector reforms, a host of newly- published data indicate a weakening of the country's economic competitiveness. According to the latest regional competitiveness study by national economic researcher GKI and Microsoft... [read complete entry]
December 11, 2007, 09:51 CET
New Hungarian Economy Minister promises reform in "small steps"
New Economy Minister Csaba Kákosy said he favored small but sure steps over overblown promises to combat Hungary's sluggish growth. [read complete entry]
December 04, 2007, 08:29 CET
Land title, tax offices come last in survey of state administration
Everyone who does business in Hungary knows that if you need to get something done in one of Hungary's myriad public administration offices, it pays to know someone who works there - or to pay them. Now, a new survey... [read complete entry]
November 28, 2007, 03:21 CET
National bank governor urges more reforms
National Bank chairman András Simor called for increased transparency in the labor market to improve Hungary's competitiveness [read complete entry]
November 16, 2007, 10:45 CET
Hungarian Parliament passes tax package valid from 2008
On Monday, Hungarian Parliament passed a tax package that will be effective from January 2008. Index.hu collected those that apply to private individuals.... [read complete entry]