William Penn Life, 2005 (40. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2005-12-01 / 12. szám
Magyar Matters Officials looks to Far East for investors to bring money and jobs to Hungary from The Budapest Sun BUDAPEST — Hungary's Economics Minister János Kóka recently said that more than $255 million worth of Japanese and Korean investments are planned for Hungary, business ventures that could create as many as 1,700 new jobs. Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány also said recently that Hungary's continued motorway construction program was a "trump card" in attracting a $600 million investment from South Korean tire manufacturer Hankook. "Japanese investment in Hungary totalled ($991 million) in the past two years, as a result of which 3,500 new jobs are being created between 2005 and 2008," said Kóka, adding that more investments are on the way. According to the Central Statistical Office (KSH), Japanese exports to Hungary grew by 40.9 percent in the last 12 months. Hungarian exports to Japan grew by 1.2 percent. South Korean imports increased by 21.8 percent in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period of last year, and exports increased almost 45 percent. The economics minister, who recently returned from a five-day official visit to Japan and South Korea, said one Korean investor was interested in producing plasma televisions and looking to start production in Hungary between 2006-2007. Gyurcsány, speaking of the recent Hankook deal, said the M6 motorway between Érd and Dunaújváros would be of the upmost importance for a factory like Hankook's, which will supply numerous European automobile manufacturers with tires. Competitors in the region, he said, offered "unrealistically high incentives" and Hankook has decided on a Hungarian investment despite the fact that the government had not increased its original offer. Construction on the tire production plant will begin in 2007 and the facility is scheduled to be in operation by 2010. Autumn sun saves 2005 wine harvest from The Budapest Sun Hungary's vintners say this year's grape harvest, which looked set to end mostly in failure after heavy rain in the summer, has to a large extent been saved due to the sunshine and the good weather of the past two months. "Now we are very happy. It's very, very different from [how it seemed] at the end of August," said László Mészáros, head of the Disznókő Winery, in the famous Tokaj wine region of north-east Hungary. "It's been a wonderful autumn, dry and sunny, and we have quite a lot of botrytis needed for aszú grapes. It's perfect," Mészáros said. Although there are fewer grapes this year than expected, due both to the weather and to large flocks of starlings attacking the crop, the harvest is expected to end in early November, and this year's vintage looks good for both aszú and dry wines. "In some cases it could be fantastic, quality," he said. In the far west of Hungary, Zoltán Iváncsics in Sopron is also hoping for a boost from his late-harvest Zöldveltelni, a wine which earned a gold medal last year for his five hectare family winery in the national competition. "The grapes are still out and we are hoping for something special again this year. The early whites were hit by the rain, and the grape harvest overall will be down by 50 percent or so on last year," Ivancsics said. But, as in Tokaj, the recent good weather has been a Godsend. "It means sugar levels in the later reds are good. So the Merlot, Kékfrankos and Sauvignon should be top quality this year," he said. In Brief Unemployment hits 6-year high Hungary’s unemployment rate edged up to a six-year high of 7.3 percent in the third quarter, up from 7.2 percent in the previous three months, the Central Statistics Office said. The news came at the same time as changes were being introduced to the benefit system designed to encourage “job seekers,” particularly those without employment for three months or more, to get back to work. The negative news on the employment front failed to worry the financial markets, though, as the Hungarian currency inched up to 250.3 forints to the euro. Poll: Hungarians trust police most, politicians least Hungarians trust the police the most but have least trust in national politicians, according to a survey conducted by the Hungarian Community Development Association. Some 4,500 Hungarian citizens were asked how much they trust democratic institutions and their employees; 49% put their faith in the police, followed by local governments with 42%. Out of those polled, 38% trust in the courts, while 15% trust Parliament. At the very bottom of the list are politicians, at 9%. The association also found that only one third of the population in Hungary thinks that they have an impact on local decision-making. Have news about the Hungarian community you want to share? Write to; John E. Lovász, William Penn Life, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. William Penn Life, December 2005 13
