Hungarian inflation to fall to single digits in November at latest

nflation in Hungary will be pushed into the single digits by the end of November, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday.

The Central Statistical Office will have compiled October’s inflation data by Friday afternoon, which is expected to be around 10 percent, Gergely Gulyás told a government press conference.

Inflation will fall further in December and is expected to be just over 7 percent by year-end, he said.

Inflation, he said, had been “the greatest opponent” in the recent period, adding that the government would be able to meet its previous commitment to depress inflation to single digits in the promised timeframe.

Bill on digital citizenship to be submitted next week

The government plans to submit a bill to parliament on digital citizenship next week, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday.

The scheme is designed to allow citizens to conduct their businesses, show IDs and provide e-signatures using their mobile phones, Gergely Gulyás told a government press conference. Later on, the scheme will cover the payment of public utility bills, he added.

Gulyás said it was imperative for Hungary “to take a huge leap forward in digitalisation” in the interest of making its economy competitive in the medium to long term and simplifying the conduct of business and streamlining the state bureaucracy.

Migrants at border ‘increasingly aggressive’

According to intelligence reports, migrants are becoming increasingly aggressive at the southern border and border patrol officers often face life-threatening situations, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said on Thursday.

Gergely Gulyás told a government press conference that while EU politicians’ statements on the issue “increasingly point in the direction of common sense”, the EU was “still trying” to render border protection “impossible legally and physically”.

“A prime example is ongoing court proceedings against Hungary because of its effective border protection, and Brussels probably wants to make Hungary pay a daily penalty for stopping migrants at the border,” he said.

The government found such attacks “unacceptable”, he said, adding there was a need for change in approach at the level of the EU and between member states, Gulyás added.

Source: MTI