Budapest Bank notes corporate loans up 24% in '05, double market growth
Budapest Bank Rt, the Hungarian unit of the GE Money group, made significant advances in its corporate lending activity last year, expanding at twice the rate of the overall market, bank officials said on Wednesday.
EU calls on Hungary to back up euro convergence plan with concrete reforms after elections
The European Commission has once again criticized Hungary's euro convergence plan for a lack of concrete proposals to correct excessive budget deficits, but at the same time gave the Hungarian government some breathing space as it only requested an updated convergence program by September 1, four months after the country's parliamentary elections this spring.
Hungary's ruling Socialists catch up with opposition Fidesz in polls as confidence improves
Hungary's governing Socialist Party (MSZP) has benefited from improving consumer confidence in December and is now head to head with its main conservative opposition rival Fidesz ahead of this spring's general elections, according to a public opinion survey published by researchers Szonda Ipsos.
MOL to close sale of gas business to German E.On-Ruhrgas in end-March
MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Company announced on Friday that it has agreed with German energy concern E.ON-Ruhrgas International that the closing of the partial sale of MOL's natural gas division E.ON-Ruhrgas will take place on March 31 this year.
EU funds to help Hungarian government environmental programs receive HUF 250 bln in '06
With increasing European Union funding, the Hungarian Environment Ministry has earmarked 2006 a total of HUF 250 bln to be spent on environmental protection programs, Minister Miklos Persanyi said Thursday, announcing programs slated for support in 2006 and enumerating implemented projects in 2005.
