New Széchenyi Plan Launched - Tamás Fellegi Introduced Renewed Development Policy2011. január 17.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Minister for National Development Tamás Fellegi and Minister for National Economy György Matolcsy introduced the New Széchenyi Plan on 14 January 2011 in Budapest. Several politicians and prominent public figures were present at the formal announcement held in the Budapest Marriott Hotel, along with all the business and non-government partners, who contributed to the formulation on the New Széchenyi Plan with their useful proposals.
Tamás Fellegi stated that the government renewed all elements of the system of development policy to help enterprises willing to tender stay in business and prosper. The minister emphasised that the Government had set the development policy objectives in such a way to allow the individual sector-specific projects to mutually reinforce one another’s impacts and realise in a way to reduce regional discrepancies in the country.
The head of the Ministry for Development pointed out that the government broke with the former practice of handling unreasonable ideas serving personal interests as high priority projects, and thereby taking away money, time and energy from indispensable, carefully considered project offering public benefits that were in many cases prepared and planned with the initiator's own efforts. The renewed development policy means a more effective institutional system and a considerably simpler support process and regulation. The 24 applicable statutory provisions have been replaced by a single government decree. "The government introduced numerous rational changes to tendering so that sources can reach the enterprises as quickly and effectively as possible", said Tamás Fellegi. He cited several examples, among other electronic tender applications, simpler submission of statements, shorter forms, and faster procedures and payments.
Tamás Fellegi announced that the government opened 93 new tenders amounting to HUF 1100 billion, and extended financial instruments were available as a support. As a result of this, all enterprises with capital problems will have an opportunity to access the funds. At the introduction of the National Programmes the minister emphasized that besides providing support for individual initiations, New Széchenyi Plan had to act for the realization of national goals. When these Programmes are formulated, the government will strive to provide both the balance between the regions and the conditions for consistent development. Among others Fellegi listed the following projects: national roadwork programmes, development of side road and bicycle route networks, building of several new bridges, and the introduction of a modern transportation safety and management communication system based on GSM-R technology. Furthermore, he also mentioned the Ancient Drava Programme, the Lake Tisza projects, the commencing renovation of the Buda Castle, the Talentis Programme, and the ELI super laser programme in Szeged, as well as the renovation of the Puskás Ferenc Stadium and the Nagyerdei Stadium in Debrecen. The minister also touched upon the Korányi Project, which included health care development, and the customer service network to be set up in public administration offices.
From today the tenders can be accessed on the revised official website of the New Széchenyi Plan at www.ujszechenyiterv.gov.hu. The minister closed his presentation by calling attention to the websites of the National Development Agency and the Hungarian Economy Development Centre, as well as the customer services of development agencies, where all the information is accessible.