The most important tasks of the Ministry of National Development (MND) are to facilitate the reindustrialisation of the Hungarian economy and increase the involvement of the state, Minister of National Development Miklós Seszták emphasised at the press conference presenting the Ministers of State of the Ministry in Budapest on Monday.
The Ministry is to be the primary government organ responsible for energy affairs, climate policy, priority public utility services, info-communication, transport and asset policy, he pointed out.
The Ministers of State at the Ministry of National Development are Gábor Czepek (public administration), Sára Nemes Hegmann (asset policy), János Fónagy (parliamentary affairs), András Aradszki (energy affairs), Zsolt Szabó (development and climate policy), László Tasó (infrastructure), while the new Minister of State for Info-communication is expected to be appointed within a few days, the Minister said.
The Ministry supervising strategic industries wishes to serve Hungary’s continuous and fast-pace development, making efforts in order that citizens should have access to public utility services of an improving standard safely and at affordable prices, Miklós Seszták emphasised.
The Minister said he had asked Minister of State for Public Administration Gábor Czepek to ensure, as the professional and administrative head of the Ministry, the necessary conditions for the undisturbed operation of the organ and the implementation of its goals.
In the previous governmental term, the Ministry implemented radical changes in the asset policy; instead of bartering away public assets for momentary budgetary interests, they embarked upon the path of boosting assets and Minister of State responsible for the field of asset policy Sára Nemes Hegmann is to have the task of continuing this work, Miklós Seszták pointed out.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs János Fónagy is also to represent continuity at the Ministry, Miklós Seszták emphasised, adding he had asked Mr Fónagy to continue actively participating in preparing bills most directly affecting society.
The experience that Minister of State for Energy Affairs András Aradszki has will be much needed since the Ministry is committed to creating further conditions for overhead cost reduction, including conditions to improve industrial competitiveness, to continuing preparations for the enlargement of Paks Nuclear Power Plant, pursuing the development of the international network necessary for safe energy supply, helping Hungarian energy corporations further increase their presence, preserving the work culture of mining as well as to utilising the Hungarian mineral heritage in a cost-efficient and environmentally friendly way, the Minister revealed.
Minister of State for Development and Climate Policy and Priority Public Utility Services Zsolt Szabó will be responsible for establishing non-profit public utility services, re-launching the series of facility energy programmes supporting the development of energy efficiency, creating the legislative and financing environment of renewable energy resources and utilising non-EU development resources for enhancing economic growth and improving the situation of small and medium enterprises, Miklós Seszták said.
Minister of State for Infrastructure László Tasó will be responsible for continuing the development of international transport networks, especially railway tracks, for completing the missing motorway sections up to the country borders, connecting county seats to the highway network, improving the conditions of minor roads, continuing the reorganisation of transport companies and fine-tuning the e-toll system.
Answering a question András Aradszki revealed that an effects analysis was to be made of the overhead cost reduction and the continuation of the policy would depend on the experience found.
(MTI Hungarian News Agency)
