“The Hungarian economy can become successful through the work of Hungarian people and Hungarian enterprises, and the government is contributing to this by providing funding towards the preservation of workplaces”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Friday in the Veszprém County town of Halimba.

At an event to present a competitiveness-increasing program funding certificate to Hungarian Table Top Ltd., Mr. Szijjártó spoke about the fact that healthcare protection during the first phase of protection against the coronavirus epidemic has been successful, and the second phase concerns economic protection, at the focus of which is funding enterprises that protect workplaces. “The Hungarian state is contributing 226 million 809 thousand forints (EUR 640 thousand) towards the 453 million 618 thousand-forint (EUR 1.28 million) investment being realised by Hungarian Table Top Limited. Thanks to the funding, the company will be increasing the capacity at its plant, which will contribute to more cost-effective production”, the Minister told the press.

“The work of the Hungarian people will be what assures success, thanks to which enterprises will be able to overtake their foreign competitors and acquire new markets”, Mr. Szijjártó said. According to the Minister, the strength of the economy is indicated by the fact that 806 enterprises nationwide have been awarded a total of 168 billion forint (EUR 474.2 million) in funding, as a result of which 377 billion forints (EUR 1.06 billion) in investment is being realised and over 143 thousand workplaces are being protected.

He highlighted the fact that although Hungary is ranked 92nd in the world with relation to its population, thanks to the perseverance and inventiveness of the Hungarian people it is in 34th place when it comes to the country’s export performance. “33 Veszprém County enterprises are realising a total of 15.7 billion forints (EUR 44.3 million) in investment, towards which they have been awarded 7 billion forints (EUR 19.8 million) in state funding, enabling them to protect 7400 jobs”, Mr. Szijjártó said. He also highlighted that in 2010 the rate of unemployment in the region was 13 percent, which since then has plummeted to just 2.5 percent.

Owner of Hungarian Table Top Ltd. Andreas Buske told the press that the glass manufacturing company was founded in 1995. In 2003, there were 60 people working at the plant, and the company achieved an annual turnover of 172 million forints (EUR 485 thousand). Last year, the company’s turnover exceeded 4.5 million euros, and the number of people employed at the plant was 166. In 2018, the company built a 1500-square-metre production hall. Hungarian Table Top Ltd. manufactures 900 thousand products-a-year, and exports to a host of countries from the United States to Japan. Thanks to the state funding it has been awarded, the company will be purchasing a 1.3-million-euro melting tank.

The region’s Member of Parliament Zoltán Fenyvesi (Fidesz) told reporters that the region’s economic power is indicated by the fact that the enterprises operating here generate 1 percent of the country’s GDP. “Ajka boasts an impressive history of glass manufacturing, but glass is no longer being produced at the Ajka plant, and for this reason the activities of the plant in Halimba are important for the whole region”, he underlined.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)