Hungarian government extends markup caps, retailers protest
The government has decided to extend a mandatory cap on markups for a range of food products until the end of August, Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office, said at a weekly press briefing on Wednesday.
The 10pc markups cap was rolled out in mid-March and was initially set to wind up at the end of May. Gulyás said the markups cap was a “good tool against unjustified price increases”. He noted that the government had also recently introduced a mandatory, 15pc markups cap on some household products.
Both markup caps will remain in place until “at least August 31”, he added. Monitoring for compliance and enforcing the markup caps are a “priority task” for the consumer protection and competition authorities, Gulyás said. The government will take “firm steps” against all unjustified price increases, he added.
Gulyás: Ukrainian organised crime rings behind more than 80 pc of online scams
More than 80 percent of text message-based and online banking scams are linked to Ukrainian organised criminal rings, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said on Wednesday, warning that the recent increase in banking scams was tied to the Ukrainian mafia’s use of “increasingly professional methods” to defraud depositors.
Private individuals alone have lost more than 8 billion forints (EUR 19.8m) in these types of scams recently, Gergely Gulyás told a regular government press briefing, adding that police and the financial institutions concerned have managed to recover 1.5 billion forints so far.
The government has decided to set up a working group with the involvement of the national security services and the police that will be tasked with curbing Ukrainian cyberattacks and the Ukrainian mafia, Gulyás said. The working group will be asked to draw up an action plan, he said, adding that the government will also tighten legislation and discuss the group’s proposals at its next meeting.
- Related article: PM Orbán blames surge in bank fraud on Ukrainian criminals
Gulyás: Govt earmarks HUF 4.7 billion to manage drought conditions
The government has allocated HUF 4.7bn to top up reservoirs and canals in preparation for drought conditions this year, Gulyás said. Based on experience in recent years, Gulyás said several regions of the country were at high risk for drought. He added that the government had earlier declared a drought emergency and established a government commission to deal with the threat.
Measures are being taken to step up water management authorities’ ability to defend against drought, he said, adding that some investments could be undertaken immediately.
Retailers association protests extension of food products markup cap
The National Commerce Association (OKSZ) acknowledged “with disappointment” a government decision to extend a 10pc markup cap on a range of food products until the end of August in a statement on Wednesday.
OKSZ said it had proposed the government phase out the markup cap, introduced in mid-March, gradually. “We regret the cabinet did not act on the proposal, because the markups cap serves the interest of neither the economy nor consumers,” it added.
OKSZ warned that the extension of the measure threatened the viability of shops in smaller settlements and paved the way for foreign suppliers.
Gulyás: We will give Szeklers all the help they need in connection with Praid natural disaster
The Hungarian prime minister has discussed the natural disaster in the salt mine in Praid (Parajd), in central Romania, with the leader of the ethnic Hungarian RMDSZ party, and has promised him that Hungary will provide the Seklers with all the help they need in connection with the situation, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said on Wednesday.
Hungary’s government will give the Seklers and Praid all the help necessary to mitigate the damage and restore the salt mine to its prior state, Gulyás said. The Praid salt mine was flooded on Tuesday after heavy rains caused by the Corund stream to overflow and damage the protective layer to prevent riverbank breaches.
Read more about the markup cap HERE.
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