Since the positive economic U-turn of 2013, annual GDP growth has averaged some 3 percent, and we are expecting a good figure for this year, too – Minister for National Economy Mihály Varga said at the presentation of the Awards for Successful Enterprises.
Commenting on GDP data from the second quarter, the Minister said that the Hungarian economy appears to have remained on the path it has been on for the past three years. The latest growth figure is the second best within the EU, he added. The industrial sector’s performance was outstanding, with 3.9 percent quarter-on-quarter growth, and so was that of the agricultural sector, with a year-on-year output increase of 13.4 percent. The expansion of the services sector has been boosted by the positive effect of real wage growth on consumption. These data also signal that the Government’s growth target for this year, 2.5 percent of GDP, will be attainable.
The Minister stressed that domestic enterprises are also benefiting from the Government’s consistent economic policy. The companies which were selected for the awards, he said, embody our concepts of future enterprises: they make innovative products with high added value, and in order to achieve continuous development they have forged efficient partnerships with domestic universities.
The “Investor of the Month” award went to the representatives of Graboplast Plc and Märklin Hungaria Ltd. Graboplast has been one of Hungary’s leading manufacturers of floorings, and the company is building a new production site in Tatabánya, of HUF 6.2bn. Model railroad maker Märklin Hungaria has completed a development project of HUF 3bn at its Győr factory.
The “SME of the Month” title was received by the Detki Keksz Ltd and plastics manufacturer István Simon. The maker of highly popular Detki Keksz products has been a prominent enterprise in the domestic food industry in the past three decades. The businessman István Simon has become, over the past 31 years, from a sole proprietor the executive manager of a company with a staff of 242, manufacturing high-end components for multinational industrial giants in, among others, Germany and the United States.
Magnus Aircraft Plc and MathXplain Ltd won the “Startup of the Month” awards. Kecskemét-based Magnus Aircraft is a producer and developer of small airplanes. The website of MathXplain Ltd, „Mateking”, aims to popularize Mathematics. The platform, which presents mathematical fields and topics through easily comprehendible and funny examples, has attracted 45 thousand registered users over the past four years.
The Order of Merit of Hungary (Civilian) was handed over to Budapest Sportiroda Ltd CEO Árpád Kocsis.
(Ministry for National Economy)
