Gulyas: Government welcomes Fiscal Council’s approval of draft budget amendments

The special legal order gives the government the power to amend the budget, Gulyas told MTI, adding, at the same time, that the draft amendments will be submitted to parliament for approval in the first half of January. Though the special legal order allows for swift action, “this can in no way restrict the authority of parliament,” he added.

Next year will be the second of the continuing war and the “sanctions-fuelled energy crisis”, Gulyas said. The war and the effects of the sanctions imposed by Brussels are a danger to Hungarian families, the Hungarian economy and Hungarian jobs, he added.

Gulyas said the most important task in 2023 would be to protect Hungarian families and jobs and maintain economic growth.

Hungary’s utility protection fund has to be topped up so that household utility prices can remain capped up to average consumption, he said, adding that the fund was also used to finance support for companies in energy-intensive sectors. “The 2023 budget is therefore the budget of utility protection,” he said.

Next year’s budget will also ensure support for families and guarantee that the value of pensions can be preserved, Gulyas said.