“Hungary won the first phase of healthcare protection against the coronavirus, but we must take care to ensure that our joint efforts and sacrifices do not become pointless”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó emphasised on Wednesday in Mátészalka at a ceremony to present a competitiveness-increasing program funding certificate to Mátészalka Bakery Ltd.

At the event, Mr. Szijjártó highlighted that the period of healthcare protection is being supplemented by a period of economy protection, and “just as Hungary was successfully protected during the course of healthcare protection, so too will we win the era of economy protection”. “With relation to the economic emergency situation that has developed as a result of the pandemic, the government has decided to not finance unemployment, but to instead finance the fight against unemployment, in which enterprises that are willing to expand capacities, introduce new technologies and purchase new equipment despite the difficult circumstances, are our allies”, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade pointed out.

In his speech, the Minister said the emergency has also shown that the country could be vulnerable without a strong domestic food industry, and thanked everyone involved in the food industry for assuring the country’s continuous and unhindered supply of food in recent months. He added that the second wave of the epidemic is highlighting the fact that the domestic food industry and the country’s capability of being self sufficient has never been as important as it is today. He recalled that last year the production value of the Hungarian food industry grew by ten percent, and achieved a further increase of ten percent during the first two quarters of this year, with some 140 thousand people working within the sector.” And the Investment Promotion Agency is in negotiation with 19 food industry enterprises that are planning to realise further investments in Hungary”, he added.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade told those present that Mátészalka Bakery Limited is realising a 530-million-forint (EUR 1.48 million) investment project, towards which the government is providing 265 million forints (EUR 740 thousand) in state funding, thereby protecting 62 workplaces. Thanks to the investment, the company is following market trends and the development of market demand, will be producing healthier products, and will be constructing a 1000 square metre new production hall to house a new bread production line that uses leavening technology.

(MTI/Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister)