There will be no internet tax, ruling party representative says

Nyitrai was State Secretary for infocommunications at the National Development Ministry up to September last year. News portal Origo.hu cited National Economy Ministry sources on Friday that the ministry was mulling a tax on all landline and mobile telephone and internet usage that could raise HUF 40 billion-50 billion.
The government is expected to approve at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday cost-savings measures for this year and next in an updated version of Hungary\'s Convergence Program that must be sent to Brussels by April 30. The cabinet must fill a HUF 150 billion budget gap this year and another HUF 400 billion hole in 2013, Origo said.
Origo said measures were likely to include a spending freeze at ministries and local governments, which could produce as much as HUF 250 billion in savings, as well as a tax on financial transactions, that could generate HUF 100 billion-200 billion.
Restructuring of the public transport system could save HUF 10 billion-15 billion and several billion could be saved as the result of a review of disability pensioners. The remaining HUF 40 billion-50 billion could come from a tax on mobile telephone and internet usage, the portal said.
The National Economy Ministry declined to comment on the report when asked by MTI. New measures seem to be needed because the government has promised to withdraw by 2014 the extraordinary bank levy and the sectoral or \"crisis taxes\" introduced in 2010.