Orbán: Government supplements economic protection action plan

The government has supplemented the economic protection action plan in the interest of families and businesses, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a video message on his Facebook page on Saturday, outlining four decisions.

The moratorium on loan repayments will be extended, in its present form, for six months, until July 1, Orbán said. He added that there would be an automatic opt-in for participation: only borrowers who want to continue paying installments must contact their banks.

He said the government would subsidise two-thirds of payroll costs in December and January at businesses forced to close temporarily because of the epidemic. He added that those shuttered businesses, such as restaurants, hotels and tourism companies, including privately-owned bus companies, would also be exempt from payroll tax during the period.

He said the local business tax would be halved for small- and medium-sized enterprises and sole proprietors from January 1.