Motorway sticker prices may increase again in Hungary significantly

The prime minister’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, said the government was expected to make a decision on raising the price of motorway stickers in the second half of September, adding that the rule of thumb was to index prices to inflation. Answering a question about railway services, Gulyás said the government was not planning any further closures of lines.

Meanwhile, Gulyás said in response to a question that more wage hikes were coming on January 1 next year, but the government was also working to ensure pay rises in the real economy throughout the year. The government’s spokesperson, Alexandra Szentkirályi, said the recent price drops indicated that multinational supermarkets had been unjustifiably overpricing products in the recent period. She said the price-monitoring platform had drawn some 1.2 million visitors since its launch on July 1, adding that it will receive updates in the near future, including an expansion of the product categories based on user feedback.

Gulyás said Hungary was consulting with every country on the potential introduction of national import bans on Ukrainian grain if the EU ban is not extended, particularly the four other countries bordering Ukraine. He emphasised, at the same time, that Hungary’s decision would not depend on what the other countries decide. Poland will certainly introduce a measure identical to Hungary’s, he added.

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Asked about the current recession and whether he saw the need to amend the government’s target economic growth rate of 1.5 percent, Gulyás said the government would wait for the third-quarter GDP figures before finalising their decision in October. He confirmed that there was little chance of achieving a growth rate of 1.5 percent in light of the figures registered in the first two quarters. The government had not expected a major change in the second quarter, he said, adding that the only positive development had been that the recession had eased. The government expects the economy to return to growth in the second half, Gulyás said, adding that the 4 percent growth target next year hopefully would be achieved. Asked if this year’s budget would be workable, Gulyás said this could only be determined once the Q3 data was in. The government sees no fundamental issues with the budget, and the most difficult task will be keeping to the deficit target, he said.

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Asked about battery plants and guest workers in Hungary, Gulyás said guest workers were allowed to enter and work in Hungary under strict regulations and only in areas where there was a labour shortage. Concerning local residents’ concerns, he said it was up to the employer to ensure that “foreign workers do not pose a problem” for locals. Referring to concerns about battery plants being built in Hungary, Gulyás said they were necessary “if Hungary wants to save its car industry”, since “the European Union had the idea of eliminating internal combustion engines”. Without those battery plants, Hungary would lose its car makers within 10 years, he insisted. All plants working with hazardous materials will be closed if they break relevant rules, he said, adding that opportunities to raise the fines for such violations would be examined.

Migrants who turn up at the border without skills in the hope of a better life “should be stopped”, he said. Guest workers, however, subject to national security vetting arriving via registered agencies “to take a vacant position for a definite period of time, are a different category,” he said.

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Answering a question about the closure of the Mátrai power station, Gulyás said the government was negotiating a possible extension with the European Commission. Should the commission grant its approval “the government will take up the opportunity, but this will largely be dependent on the energy situation,” he added. Meanwhile, Gulyás said Hungary’s gas storage facilities were 88 percent full, ensuring heating for homes for 219 winter days.