Government Approves a Further 39 Priority Projects29 March 2010
Transport, tourism, environment development, healthcare and urban rehabilitation investments have equally been included in the development package worth a total of 51.3 billion HUF.
The Government has nominated a further 39 projects within the framework of the regional operational programmes of the New Hungary Development Plan. The 20 transport development, 7 tourism, 5 urban rehabilitation, 5 environmental protection and water management and 2 healthcare investments that have just been approved can count on receiving a total of 51.3 billion HUF, most of which is granted by the EU.
Transport development projects are prioritised, as regards the use of EU funding made available within the framework of the New Hungary Development Plan. Alongside projects aimed at improving international access implemented within the framework of the Transport Operational Programme, main roads and 4- and 5-digit byroads connecting settlements will be constructed and certain municipal areas and road stretches will be renewed and fully rehabilitated over the upcoming years within the framework of regional operational programmes. Over the period of the 2007-2008 Action Plan alone, funding amounting to over a total of 47 billion HUF was granted for public road renewal projects within the framework of regional operational programmes. This funding ensures the opportunity to upgrade 1100 kilometres of roads around the country, most of which are 4- and 5-digit roads; the renewal of 880 kilometres of road stretches has already been completed, whilst construction work is currently still in progress along 120 kilometres. Thanks to the decision that has just been made by the Government, it will be possible to renew even more 4- and 5-digit roads: developments worth 14.2 billion HUF in value will soon begin at a further 20 various locations around the country. Among others, the Halásztelek branch of the main road on Csepel Island (Road 5103) will be constructed and asphalt concrete will be laid on the stretch of Road 6317 between Szekszárd and Simontornya. In addition, the road stretch between Kazincbarcika, Múcsony and Onga along Road 3701, as well as along Road 4519 in the vicinity of Szeged, Road 4424 in the vicinity of Makó, Road 4521 in the vicinity of Hódmezővásárhely, Road 5512 in the vicinity of Mórahalom, Road 5402 in the vicinity of Kiskunfélegyháza, Jászszentlászló and Kiskunmajsa and Road 5501 in the vicinity of Baja, Mátéházpuszta, Bácsbokod and Bácsalmás will also be renewed.
The tourism sector has been allocated a substantially higher amount of EU funding in the 2007–2013 period, over which period 20% of the funding allocated to regional operational programmes, i.e., a total of 300 billion HUF, can be invested around the country in developments tying in with tourism. This represents ten times the funding granted for this sector over the 2004-2006 period. More than 83 billion HUF of this framework has already been allocated by means of tendering in 2007 and 2008, and pursuant to the Government decision that has just been made, a further series of tourism developments can get underway around the country with the help of funding amounting to a total of 9.3 billion HUF. For example, the reconstruction of the Royal Palace in Gödöllő can continue with the help of EU funding amounting to 900 million HUF; a tourist and visitor centre will be set up in the Archbishop’s Palace in Eger and tourist attractions in the Castle of Eger will also be developed - the former will be implemented with the help of EU funding amounting to 986 million HUF, whilst the latter from EU funding amounting to 1.5 billion HUF. Complex eco-tourism developments will be launched in the region of Diósgyőr and Lillafüred with the help of EU funding amounting to nearly 2 billion HUF, whilst developments will also be launched at Mount Esztramos located in the Aggtelek National Park by investing a similar amount. The Legends of Tihany Project aimed at boosting tourism in Tihany can also count on receiving EU funding amounting to 600 million HUF. In addition, as a continuation of major thermal bath developments implemented over the recent period, thermal baths in Harkány will also be developed by investing EU funding amounting to 1.4 billion HUF.
Similarly to investments in tourism, urban rehabilitation programmes are equally prioritised, since these investments also potentially boost tourism, strengthen the local economy and make settlements around the country prettier and more liveable. A total of 24.5 billion HUF was allocated for implementing urban rehabilitation programmes over the 2004-2006 period as a part of the National Development Plan. Funding amounting to a total of 270 billion HUF has been made available for rehabilitating settlements over the 2007-2013 period as a part of the New Hungary Development Plan (NHDP), which, in the 2007-2010 period alone, represents eight times the amount invested for this purpose within the framework of NDP I, meaning that the country can spend nearly 200 billion HUF on renewing settlements in various regions. This time round, the Government approved funding for 5 urban rehabilitation programmes representing 14.7 billion HUF in value. From this framework, over 7 billion HUF has been allocated for continuing two of the components of the Heart of Budapest Programme, i.e., the further rehabilitation of the downtown precinct of Budapest. The first phase of the Attila József Plan aimed at carrying out social urban rehabilitation in Ferencváros (9th District of Budapest) can be launched with the help of EU funding amounting to nearly 2.9 billion HUF; 3.1 billion HUF has been allocated for functionally extending the downtown precinct of Eger, whilst nearly 1.7 billion HUF has been made available for renewing the public area of the University District in Szeged.
Environmental protection is prioritised as regards making use of funding granted by the European Union. The importance of this area is well demonstrated by how the total value of projects implemented within the framework of the first National Development Plan over the past 4 years represented 151 billion HUF in value, whilst the amount of EU funding granted for environmental protection investments within the framework of the New Hungary Plan over the 2007-2013 period is nearly 10 times this amount and is equivalent to a total of 1500 billion HUF. Investments tying in with flood protection and inland drainage are prioritised within these developments, thanks to which the protection of the immediate surroundings of 1.2 million people will be resolved over the upcoming years. Beyond major flood protection developments implemented along the middle and upper stretch of the River Tisza within the framework of the Environment and Energy Operational Programme of the New Hungary Development Plan from the 160 billion funding framework available, a significant amount of funding has also been made available primarily for implementing inland drainage investments within the framework of regional operational programmes. The Government has just approved the use of EU funding amounting to nearly 2.5 billion HUF for implementing investments tying in with the continuation of the Vásárhelyi Plan and geared towards ensuring inland and rainwater drainage in Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County. In addition, developments aimed at ensuring municipal drainage will also be launched in the settlements of Pély, Ricse, Pácin and Nagyrozvágy with the help of EU funding amounting to over a total of 2 billion HUF.
During the 2007-2013 period, we are able to spend EU funding amounting to over 311 billion HUF on developing healthcare infrastructures, whilst funding amounting to 60 billion HUF has been allocated for health preservation and developing human resources in the field of healthcare. Beyond these central resources, a further nearly 110 billion HUF can allocated for upgrading healthcare over this 7-year period from regional operational programmes. As a continuation of healthcare developments already implemented or in progress, the Government has just approved two investments to be implemented in Budapest: 1.3 billion HUF has been allocated for developing the oncology unit at Uzsoki Street Hospital, whilst the Semmelweis University is able to invest EU funding amounting to 7.3 billion HUF for constructing a new clinic block within the framework of the Korányi Project.