At a press conference in Budapest on Wednesday, Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács announced that the construction of the temporary border barrier is continuing at full speed; 364 soldiers and 112 public workers are currently working in 13 teams.
The Government Spokesperson said that as of Tuesday evening, 107 678 illegal immigrants had crossed the border into Hungary this year.
He said that establishment of the two temporary reception centres in Martonfa (Baranya County) and Sormás (Zala County) – each to have a capacity of one thousand people – was unavoidable, but both will be located outside inhabited areas. In response to a question, Mr. Kovács said that experts and authorities involved in the process had found the Martonfa and Sormás locations to be the most suitable from among the options considered.
The Hungarian reforms are working
Government Spokesperson Zoltán Kovács announced that the latest economic indices – the volume of retail sales and the unemployment and employment rates – prove that the Hungarian reforms (on which the Government launched an information campaign a few weeks ago) are working.
He emphasised that retail sales have been on the rise for over 23 months, the unemployment rate has fallen below 7%, and over 4.2 million people in Hungary are now in work.
Mr. Kovács pointed out that the campaign aiming to draw the public’s attention to the fact that the Hungarian reforms are working – involving almost 1,000 external advertising spaces and press ads at a total net cost of HUF 600 million – will run until September.
Answering a question concerning compensation to Quaestor customers, Mr. Kovács said that for reimbursements of over HUF 6 million there is a case pending at the Constitutional Court which was initiated by financial institutions. It is therefore not the Government that should be urged to expedite compensation, but those “who are trying to hinder” the implementation of the measures initiated.
With regard to Budapest’s intended bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games, the Government Spokesperson said that the Cabinet will support the capital and the Hungarian Olympic Committee (MOB) in the application.
The preparations do entail certain costs, but “applicants with serious intentions” must assume calculated risks, he added.
With reference to a statement by President of the National Association of Hungarian Farmers’ Societies and Co-operatives István Jakab (Fidesz), a question was also asked on whether draft legislation is indeed being prepared, according to which state-owned tenanted agricultural land will be sold. Mr. Kovács said that there is no such document under preparation by the Government or government bodies, but the need for this has indeed been indicated by certain organisations in the sector. The Government Spokesperson stated that in Hungary only Hungarians can buy such land in a transparent manner.
(MTI/Prime Minister's Office)
