Large Crowd at the Székesfehérvár Stage of the New Széchenyi Plan's National Tour2011. február 7.
The national tour's next event was held in Székesfehérvár. The venue was the town hall's state room, where experts of the National Development Agency introduced the possibilities the new system of tendering offers.
In his welcome address Mayor Dr András Cser-Palkovics said that they were waiting eagerly for the tenders of the New Széchenyi Plan (ÚSZT), and he thought that the utilization of the available opportunities to tender would contribute to the prosperity of Székesfehérvár and the whole country.
Jenő Radetzky, President of the Fejér County Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that economic policy would fail if it tried to make decisions based on only one indicator. ÚSZT is not just a source of funding: it shows the way forward and provides opportunities.
The following speaker was Zoltán Petykó, President of the National Development Agency (NFÜ), who said that the model of ÚSZT was based on the cooperation of the state and businesses. We are in the 2007–2013 budgetary period, with a change in government in the middle. The fulfilment of objectives is evaluated, areas where changes are needed are indicated. Timing is both fortunate and unfortunate as the numerous modifications require longer time. He highlighted that ÚSZT was a national plan that contained such goals and projects that were implemented on national level, hence the name National Programme.
Lóránt Lehrner, NFÜ Vice President for Integration talked about the Europe 2020 programme, a strategy of economic policy that aims to defeat the economic crisis and facilitate sustainable economic growth in Europe. The programme covers five areas: employment, research and development, climate, energy policy, and fight against poverty. Member states set their own national goals and establish roadmaps based on the EU initiative, in line with their situation and priorities in economic policy.
In his speech Ignác Siba, Director General of the Managing Authority of the Economic Development Operational Programme (GOP) covered among others guarantee products and the possibility to involve venture capital investors. He introduced the tenders that will be launched in the field of technology development and R+D, and the combined microcredit product. Talking about the role MAG Zrt plays as an intermediate body, he highlighted that procedures were simplified, payments would happen faster and easier, and each project would have a responsible person.
Dr Tamás Palicz, Director General of the Managing Authority of the Human Resource Programmes (HEP) indicated that the crisis made it clear that businesses started cutting costs by reducing training costs. As a reaction to this, tenderers selected as successful contractors in the field of the economic development were provided an opportunity to submit project ideas also for the call for tenders for the use of training..
Róbert Nagy, Deputy Department Head of the Managing Authority of the Regional Operational Programmes (ROP) said that the budget of the Central Transdanubia Operational Programme for the 2011–2013 period was HUF 38 billion, out of which HUF 17 billion would be ready for drawing from 1 March. Tenders will open continuously for the remainder of the budget this year. He emphasized that creation of jobs was a horizontal aspect in ROP: each tender had to create jobs.
Dr Anikó Szilvia Nagy, Deputy Department Head talked about the simplifications in the tendering system. She said that the overcomplicated system of tendering was replaced by a transparent process after parallel structures were eliminated and the system was accelerated.
Contributing partners of the national tour are the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Association of Entrepreneurs.