Gulyás: Economic growth is expected to return next year

 

Commenting on next year’s economic outlook, Gulyás told a press briefing that the government trusted that after bringing down inflation into the single digits in November, economic growth would return next year. He insisted that all authoritative forecasts, including that of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), indicated that Hungary may enjoy the highest economic growth in the region in 2024. Meanwhile, he said that with CPI calculated with a basket of goods and services used by pensioners projected to be 18.5% this year, the government has decided to supplement a previous 15% pension hike with a 3.5% top-up, he said. The pension supplement to be paid in November will be a 3.1% hike on the previously increased pensions, he added. Gulyás also said the government’s ban on grain imports from Ukraine “is working”. He praised the government’s measure aimed at “preventing cheap and inferior quality Ukrainian grain from flooding the Hungarian market”. The government, however, continues to be a partner in efforts to forward those products to countries in Africa, and will allow for their transit, he said.