The Hungarian Government has to date placed some HUF 9 billion in Vojvodina through its economic development programme, and as a result, it has supported more than 6,200 entrepreneurs, Levente Magyar, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade stressed on Wednesday in Szabadka where contracts were signed with the latest awarded applicants of the Hungarian Government’s economic development programme in Vojvodina with a view to major agricultural developments.

The amount distributed so far is less than a quarter of the total allocation, and attempts will be made to distribute the rest of the sum during the course of next year, the State Secretary added. Mr Magyar underlined: in the past almost two years, they have reached just about every Hungarian in Vojvodina, they have visited every Hungarian-inhabited locality, and therefore those who intended to take part in the programme had every opportunity to do so, and no one was left out due to a lack of information.

The State Secretary underlined: as the first step, they intended to support small producers, in the second phase they wish to reinforce enterprises which will be able to help smaller businesses, while the third phase will focus on the promotion of medium-sized enterprises. Following this, they will seek to connect together the large and small businesses which they had formerly supported, and as a result, Vojvodina may become one of the world’s most prosperous regions.

Mr Magyar drew attention to the fact that a few years ago no one would have thought that an economic development programme on such a scale could be implemented in Vojvodina, while this is reality today. He added that a strong Vojvodina economy also reinforces Serbia, and Hungary would like a strong Serbia for a neighbour: the Hungarians living here, too, have a vested interest in a strong Serbia.

István Pásztor, President of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (VMSZ) stressed that the Hungarian Government and VMSZ are making history in Vojvodina with the economic development programme. VMSZ created a receptive environment, but for this to happen, there was also a need for a government in the motherland which guarantees survival and advancement in the native land not only in words, but also in actions, and there equally had to be a stratum of entrepreneurs in Vojvodina which makes the implementation of such a programme possible, the President of the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians detailed.

Contracts were concluded on Wednesday with six large businesses which provide jobs for 140 people directly, but which additionally provide supply opportunities, and a living in consequence, for some 3,500 Hungarian farmers in Vojvodina. These large-scale investors will implement projects worth more than HUF 10 billion in the form of the enlargement of plants, the procurement of storage facilities and drying equipment, and the production and processing of honey, fruit and vegetables. It is to be hoped that contracts will be concluded with another half a dozen large businesses within a few weeks. At the same time, three new calls for proposals were published on Wednesday, as part of which proposals may be submitted for the purchase of housing properties and land up to the end of November.

These are medium-term projects to the value of EUR 50 to 500 thousand. The Hungarian Government initially earmarked HUF 50 billion for the economic development programme in Vojvodina, but the allocation was increased later, and in consequence, the total allocation available in the form of loans and non-repayable grants now amounts to more than HUF 60 billion. In the programme relating to the period between 2016-2018, the greatest emphasis was laid on agriculture, tourism and the development of small and medium-sized enterprises, and the goal is to stop young people from leaving for abroad and to reverse this process.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)