Jobbik speculates Orbán’s cabinet planning to drop utility bill cuts scheme

A lawmaker of opposition Jobbik has speculated that the government may be looking to drop its scheme to cut household utility bills, citing several business transactions. 

According to government communication, the scheme had been made possible by certain players in Hungary’s strategic energy sector being in state ownership or because the state had acquired stakes in them, Lajos Kepli told a press conference on Friday.

But this process seems to be reversing itself, Kepli said, citing the announcement of the recent sale of Magyar Gáz Tranzit (MGT), the project company for a interconnector between the gas networks of Hungary and Slovakia, to FGSZ Földgázszállító. The Hungarian-Slovak interconnector serves to ensure Hungary’s gas supply in the event that Russia cuts off its supply of gas via Ukraine, Kepli said. This transaction has significant business potential for FGSZ, he said, adding that as a private owner, FGSZ — unlike the state — would no doubt hoover up resulting profits.