Parliament’s budget committee head would like to hear economy minister

Laszlo Nyikos, chairman of parliament’s budget committee, would like to hold a committee meeting to ask National Economy Minister Gyorgy Matolcsy about the feasibility of the 2012 central budget targets under the current circumstances, Mr Nyikos said in a statement to MTI.

Mr Nyikos, an MP of the radical-nationalist Jobbik party, noted that such a hearing requires a written request signed by a fifth of the committee members.

The forint weakened to its lowest-ever level, the country’s risk assessment is worsening and government debt is sold at unrealistically high yields, Mr Nyikos said, noting that with chances for financing the country’s debt from the market diminishing, the government wants to negotiate a standby credit with the IMF.

"In the current situation I see it timely and justified to call a meeting of the budget committee and to hear the minister responsible for the general government at this meeting," he said.

The committee would ask the minister to provide information on the feasibility of the main targets of this year’s budget and whether there is a need to prepare a supplementary budget, Mr Nyikos said.