Minister Navracsics: only 34 out of 163 districts have an economic strength above the national average

The economic strength of 34 districts in Hungary exceeds the national average, while the strength of 163 is under the average, Public Administration and Rural Development Minister Tibor Navracsics said at a regional development conference in Ózd (NE Hungary) on Tuesday.

Navracsics noted that 22 of the overperformers were districts in the capital. He added that the economic strength of 55 districts was not even half of the national average.

Among districts that are home to county seats, the economic strength of four are above the national average, Győr, Székesfehérvár, Tatabánya and Veszprém, while that of one, Salgótarján, is less than half of the average, he said.

He added that settlement-based development policy must be complemented with regional cooperation.

Navracsics said that big regional differences were putting a strain on the country, a signal to focus more on regional cooperation and development in future. Advances can be made with the launch of the Competitive Districts Programme, he added.

He also pointed to the need for an efficient and productive cooperation between the local council and district administrative levels.

State secretary Judit Bertalan Czunyi presented the Competitive Districts Programme at the conference. The scheme will launch in March.