In next year's budget, the government wants to continue to ensure utility subsidies and the protection of the country, families, pensioners and jobs, said the parliamentary secretary of the Prime Minister's Cabinet Office in a video published on Thursday.

In a video uploaded to his social media page, Csaba Dömötör reminded that the Parliament will vote on next year's budget on Friday.

He said parliament could pass a budget that "takes account of the fact that the war is dragging on and that the whole of Europe is facing energy price increases and inflation not seen for decades."

"We did not cause the war, but we bear its consequences. In such circumstances, this budget cannot be anything other than a defense budget," said the politician.

Csaba Dömötör called it particularly important to preserve the jobs that have been created in recent years during the economic crisis. Under the current administration, unemployment dropped from 12 to under 4 percent, and the government wants it to remain low.

He also called it an important circumstance that Brussels once again proposed that the government abolish official energy prices, i.e. utility subsidies. "We don't want this, it's unacceptable, we will maintain it unchanged, so the necessary resources will be mostly provided by the extra profit tax collected from large companies," emphasized Csaba Dömötör.

The protection of families is also a priority goal, so the budget will continue to spend HUF 3,300 billion on family subsidies; family tax benefits will remain, the amount of the village tax will increase, and a new subsidy program will be developed instead of the city tax, the amount of the maternity grant will increase, which will continue to be available to women under 30, and the option will be left open for women between 30 and 40 also for pregnant women.

The state secretary pointed out that, while the soaring energy bills caused the country an additional expenditure of HUF 4,000 billion, more resources will still go to several priority areas: HUF 400 billion more for defense purposes, HUF 419 billion for health care, and HUF 634 billion more for education than this year.

In the case of education, this means that they will spend almost 2000 billion more than in 2010.

He also announced that last year, despite all the difficulties, the economy grew by more than 4 percent. "We will ensure that it remains on a growing path this year and next year as well. The 2024 budget also serves this," emphasized Csaba Dömötör.

MTI