“The Hungarian family policy system has become a point and basis of reference”, the Ministry of Human Capacities’ Minister of State for Family and Youth Policy Katalin Novák said on Hungarian M1 television’s Tuesday morning current affairs program.

Reporting on her experiences at the World Congress of Families in Verona, Ms. Novák said the participants of the meeting were also interested in finding out how the Hungarian Government had created the financial means for the various support schemes.

“We replied that its foundations were created by the diligence of the Hungarian people, since the unemployment rate of over 11 percent has been successfully reduced to just 3.5 percent, and there are almost one million more people working now than when the government took office”, she added.

The Minister of State recalled that on  Monday the National Assembly had voted to adopt four points of the Family Protection Acton Plan, which will be coming into force on 1 July: the ten million forint baby shower funding, the extension of the preferential loans provided within the framework of the Home Creation Scheme (CSOK) to include used properties, the waiving of part of a family’s mortgage when children are born, and the subsidy to assist large families with purchasing a new car.

“Tax exemption for women with four or more children and the childcare allowance for grandparents is expected to be put before Parliament in the second half of the year, and nursery school development projects are continuously being realised”, she added.

Ms. Novák also announced that a campaign will be launched to inform people about the details of the new measures.

Speaking on Kossuth Radio’s “Good morning, Hungary!” show, the Minister of State emphasised: “In Hungary, we would like to provide as many support systems as possible for people preparing to have children, people who are raising children, and families with one and two parents alike”.

(MTI)