The government originally planned to raise the preferential VAT rate, which applies to food and other products, to 20% from September 1.
The new solution will lessen the burden for low-income households and generate a similar amount of budget revenue as the original proposal, according to market observers. The government originally planned for the VAT raise to bring in an additional Ft 60 billion in budget revenue in 2006 and an extra Ft 170 billion in 2007.