“The Hungarian economy is successful because of the work of the Hungarian people”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday in Várpalota at an event to present Pannon Bakery Ltd. with its funding agreement within the framework of the Competitiveness-Increasing Program.

Mr. Szijjártó said that for people to be able to work requires health, and for them to have jobs. “This is why the government decided to support enterprises that are capable of preserving workplaces and creating new jobs, meaning that instead of financing unemployment it wishes to finance the fight against unemployment” he emphasised. According to the Minister, 904 enterprises have committed themselves to realising investment projects, preserving 155 thousand workplaces with a total volume of 425 billion forints (EUR 1.165 billion) in investment.

“Based on the experience gained from the first wave of the coronavirus epidemic, only those countries can truly be strong that possess their own production capacities, for instance with relation to the equipment needed for healthcare and healthcare protection, and which have their own warehousing and air freight capacities, and it is at least as important for them to have a self-sufficiency capacity with relation to food”, he highlighted.

“During the first wave of the global pandemic there were never any food supply difficulties in Hungary, which indicates the level of development and strength of the Hungarian food industry”, Mr. Szijjártó stated. “Last year, the production value of the Hungarian food industry increased by 10 percent, and was capable of a further increase of 9 percent during the first seven months of the year”, he pointed out. “The food industry provides work to 140 thousand people, and the largest ratio of investment projects in recent months have been undertaken by food industry enterprises”, he added.
The Minister also said that 29 enterprises from Veszprém County are realising 13.4 billion forints (EUR 36.75 million) in investment within the framework of the Competitiveness-Increasing Program with the help of 6.4 billion forints (EUR 17.5 million) in state funding, and protecting 5200 workplaces as a result. “Unemployment in the County has fallen from 13 percent to just 4 percent over the past ten years, while industrial production has increased to two and a half times its previous value”, he added. The government is providing 216 million forints (EUR 590 thousand) in state funding towards the 432-million-forint (EUR 1.18 million) investment project being realised by Pannon Bakery Limited.

The company’s Managing Director, Zoltán Dömény said that as Veszprém County’s largest baking industry enterprise, Pannon Bakery Ltd. employs almost 250 people in Várpalota, Pápa, Sümeg and Tapolca. “Following the first wave of the coronavirus epidemic, previous staff levels were again reached in September, and in fact increased by one. From among products with high added value, last year the company’s facilities produced over five million milk loaves and twelve million cheese croissants”, he stated. “Over the past twelve years, we have not taken out any dividends, but have spent all profit on investment”, he added. “As part of the 423-million-forint investment project, the company will be spending over 120 million forints (EUR 330 thousand) on modernising its production units and purchasing new kneading and rolling machinery, a piece or leavening equipment and a croissant roller, in addition to which the acquisition of a new, 150-palette freezing unit at the company’s logistics centre in Várpalota will triple its current freezing capacity”, the company director explained.

The region’s Member of Parliament Károly Kontrát said the company provides a dependable living not only for its employees, but for people living in the region. “Through funding the company, the government is also contributing to ensuring an uninterrupted supply of food to the public”, he added.

(Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade/MTI)