Ruling parties propose building new hospital in Budapest

Budapest, February 5 (MTI) – Lawmakers of the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democratic parties proposed that a new hospital should be built in Budapest, at a meeting in northern Hungary’s Mezokovesd on Thursday.

Fidesz group leader Antal Rogan said the parliamentary group had authorised the government to raise the necessary funds including financing from the European Union, select a site for the new facility and prepare a time-scheme for the construction. The new hospital would serve as a healthcare complex and the project could be worth tens of billions of forints, Rogan said.

At their meeting, the lawmakers asked the government to give increased focus to prevention and screening programmes, with special regard to protection against cervical and colon cancer, Rogan said.

The group has also granted authorisation to the government to launch the national utility provider in March, Rogan said. He added that the new provider will ensure gas supplies first, all over the country.

The utility provider, operating on a non-profit basis, is expected to be cheaper than other companies, thus helping the government in maintaining its public utility bill reduction programme, Rogan said. The ruling parties want the national provider to supply electricity as well, no later than 2016, Rogan said.

Participants in the meeting interviewed Justice Minister Laszlo Trocsanyi concerning issues around liquidation procedures, and instructed the government to resolve the situation before the end of the year. “We are not satisfied. We think that we need liquidation procedures that are transparent, fair, and observe human dignity,” Rogan said and suggested that central control should be extended over liquidators’ activities.

Concerning public education, Rogan noted the problem that between 30-40 percent of pupils in secondary schools will leave without completing their studies, and become unemployed. Rogan called for every effort to improve the quality of primary education to reduce the ratio of secondary school drop-outs. No proposal, such as adding one year to primary education, was adopted at the meeting; the lawmakers requested the government to start consultations with teachers and parents and make plans, Rogan said.

Cabinet chief Janos Lazar informed the meeting about the European Commission’s objections to Hungary’s advertisement tax. “The Commission will start infringement procedures against the government unless it makes changes to the ad tax,” Rogan said, adding that the deputies had authorised the government to start negotiations and come up with a proposal.

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters