The construction work at the Daimler AG's Hungarian plant in Kecskemét has already begun, while recruitment is also going ahead at the same time. Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Hungary (MBMH) Ltd. has so far approved of supplier contracts in the value of EUR 50 million in the framework of the investment. They have signed contracts with 70 workers, and the recruitment of technicians is also gaining momentum. Workers in the fields of logistics, quality management, production, HR, IT, procurement, controlling and finance will be hired in the next phase of recruitment. The employee force will consist of 2500 people, according to preliminary plans.
Hungary has opened a new trade office in Chongqing, China, in order to boost bilateral trade, ITD Hungary told MTI. The Hungarian Investment and Trade Development Agency (ITD Hungary) said Hungarian companies have a wide range of opportunities in the areas of individually developed products, special expertise and technology transfer, particularly in the environmental, water management and ICT sectors and in agriculture.
The number of E.ON customers managing their accounts online is constantly growing, and even more people are interested thanks to customer contests. The purpose of the Internet system is to provide an easy, quick, comprehensive and safe method to manage accounts that customers can access anywhere at anytime. There are currently nearly 160,000 people taking advantage of this state-of-the-art way to manage accounts, which shows a significant increase over the 45,000 users at this time last year.
The number of passengers at Budapest's Ferihegy International Airport is expected to rise to 8.22 million in 2010 from 8.1million in 2009, airport operator Budapest Airport told MTI on March 5.Passenger numbers at Ferihegy dropped 4.1 pct at the height of the air industry crisis, well under the average drop of 5.9 pct for the European Union and declines of 8.3 pct in Vienna, 7.8 pct in Prague and 12 pct in Warsaw.Last year, conventional carriers accounted for 76 pct of turnover at Ferihegy and low-fare airlines for 24 pct. This year, the ratio is expected to be 75 pct-25 pct.
Hungary's next government will apply to the European Union for an extension of the moratorium on purchases of farmland by foreigners; Chairman of Parliament's Agricultural Committee Sándor Font said. He is a member of opposition Fidesz, which is tipped to win general elections in April.According to agrárhaszon.hu, Mr Font was speaking at a press conference following talks with EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development Dacian Ciolos. Mr Font said the two men discussed the future of the EU's Common Agriculture Policy after 2013, the issue of genetically modified crops and the World Trade Organization.
In 2009 the trade balance showed a surplus of HUF 1,125 billion (EUR 3,979 million), which meant an improvement of HUF 1,188 billion (EUR 4,299 million) compared to the deficit of HUF 63 billion (EUR 319 million) in 2008.In December 2009, an important volume increase was measured: The low base level of the same month in the previous year was exceeded by 15 in export volume and by 7 pct in import volume. In January-December 2009, the volume of exports and imports fell by 12 and 17 pct, respectively.
Malév's business plan contains annual savings of more than HUF 6 billion, which the Hungarian airline aims to achieve by renegotiating supplier contracts, cutting staff, and reducing general costs, as well as through new ways of selling tickets and cheaper operation of its scaled-down fleet, CEO Martin Gauss told MTI in an interview.Following 200 layoffs since 2008, a further 300-400 redundancies have to be made, Mr Gauss said. The goal is to bring Malév's headcount, not including staff at its subsidiaries, to about a thousand from the current 1300, he added.
Swiss owned high-precision drive-system manufacturer Maxon AG will commence production of whole motors and rotors to the company's Hungarian unit, Maxon Motor Hungary, which has so far been manufacturing spare parts only. Maxon Motor Hungary had made a HUF 1.1 billion (EUR 4.13 million) investment, including HUF 280 million in non-refundable government support, at its plant in Veszprém this year to make the technological developments necessary to allow for the new manufacturing operations. The unit, which currently employs around 160 people, will hire new workers as a result of its expanded production profile and potential rise in orders. Maxon Motor Hungary Kft started production in Veszprém in 2002. Maxon Motor Hungary closed 2009 with a turnover of HUF 903 million, according to preliminary data, 32 million less than in 2008, but still up from HUF 757.3 million in 2007.
FB Airport Kft, a member of the Irish SCD Group, tourism developer around lake Balaton signed an agreement with the municipalities of Sármellék and Zalavér (West Hungary) to lease and operate Balaton Airport for fifty plus fifty years, SCD Group told the official Hungarian news agency. The airport will receive its first international flight on April 1 as soon as the necessary licenses will have been acquired and a successful pilot flight will have been carried out in March.According to the agreement, SCD Group will pay a fixed annual fee of HUF 6 million and a premium linked with passenger numbers to the municipalities, raising the income of local villages. SCD Group is investing HUF 500 million per year into the operation and maintenance of the airport and expects to serve 50,000 passengers at the airport in 2010.Lufthansa announced it would operate six flights to Hungary's FlyBalaton Airport beginning in April from Frankfurt, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Dresden, Leipzig and Erfurt.
Hungarian construction company, Nemzetkozi Vegyépszer Zrt has won a tender of HUF 80 billion (EUR 300 million) contract to build infrastructure and public facilities in Libya. Vegyépszer Zrt will build 600 kilometers of sewer pipes, 450 kilometers of water lines, 600,000 square meters of pavement and construct public lighting along 400 kilometers of roads commencing in the spring and finishing within 40 months. The size of the contract, which depends on the exchange rate of Libya's currency, is the biggest foreign tender won by a Hungarian company in decades, Vegyépszer noted. Talks are underway on expanding its current contract, Vegyépszer added.The company will employ around 100 Hungarian workers during the peak period of construction in Libya.
PriceWaterhouseCoopers has published its alerts on tax and financing related regulation changes in Hungary: Preparing for Tax Authority audits planned for 2010Please, follow the link to find out more!
Bloomberg Hungary Industry Output Unexpectedly Rises on Exports "Hungary's industrial output rose in January from a year earlier, the first annual increase in 19 months, as a pickup in exports put the country on the road to recovery from its worst recession since 1991." Click here to read Budapest Business Journal ITD Hungary Holds Facility Management Forum for Potential Daimler Partners"The Hungarian Investment and Trade Development Agency (ITD Hungary) and the Bács-Kiskun County Trade and Industry Chamber held a forum for potential Hungarian facility management partners for German car maker Daimler's plant in Kecskemét, ITD Hungary said." Click here to read CNNMoney Hungarian Power Distribution Companies EMASZ and ELMU Select Telvent Technology"Telvent (Nasdaq:TLVT), the IT company for a sustainable and secure world, announced today it will be supplying its Distribution Management System (DMS) components for an advanced network control system planned by Hungarian power distribution companies EMASZ Halozati Kft Miskolc and ELMU Halozati Kft Budapest." Click here to read
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