State-owned Mahartʼs new fleet of 20 small river cruise boats are 62% booked for the month of July, government commissioner for an active Hungary Mariusz Révész said on Wednesday, according to a report by state news wire MTI.

The volume of construction output, based on raw data, was 15.7% lower in June 2020 compared to the same of the previous year, according to data published by the Central Statistical Office (KSH). 

The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold a combined HUF 93 billion of bonds at auction on Thursday, HUF 23 bln more than planned, according to a report by Hungarian news agency MTI.

Economic research institute GKIʼs gauge of consumer confidence slipped to -29.6 in August from -26.9 in the previous month, falling after three consecutive months of improvement following a pandemic plunge in April, according to a report by state news wire MTI.

According to statistics from the National Bank of Hungary (MNB), the value of ATM cash withdrawals at the ten largest commercial banks in March was approximately HUF 650 billion, HUF 47 bln more than in February, writes Világgazdaság. 

Consumer prices were 3.8% higher on average in July 2020 than in the same month of the previous year, according to data published by the Central Statistical Office (KSH).

On Lake Balaton, the booking value increased by more than 10 percentage points compared to last year, especially in the direction of apartments and holiday homes, writes portfolio.hu.

Mineral water and soft drink sales volume in Hungary fell about 8% year-on-year to 1.177 billion liters in the first half as second-quarter sales plunged because of a lockdown to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus, the head of the Hungarian Mineral Water, Juice and Soft Drink Association told state news wire MTI.

Among the measures introduced due to the coronavirus epidemic, reduced working hours and the home office proved to be effective for many companies, so they may remain in the future, according to a survey conducted by K&H Bank in June, writes novekedes.hu.

The stateʼs student loan program will be extended to vocational training and adult education programs from April 2021, the Innovation and Technology Ministry said, according to a report by state news wire MTI.

The latest weekly sales of the Hungarian Government Securities Plusz bonds for retail investors dropped to HUF 57.2 billion after jumping to HUF 82.1 bln, a peak so far this year, in the previous week, state news wire MTI reports, citing data released by the Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK).

The National Bank of Hungary (MNB) purchased a total of HUF 33.9 billion corporate bonds under its Bond Funding for Growth Scheme (BGS) in July, state news wire MTI reports, citing data published on the central bankʼs website.

In June 2020, the surplus on external trade in goods was EUR 697 million, up EUR 201 mln year-on-year, according to data published by the Central Statistical Office (KSH).

Hungaryʼs wheat harvest is estimated at about 4.7 million tonnes this year, state secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture Tamás Tarpataki said this week, according to a report by state news wire MTI.

The value of public procurement procedures fell about one-fifth, while the number dropped one-quarter in the first half from the same period a year earlier, showing the economic impact of the pandemic, the Public Procurement Authority told state news wire MTI on Friday.

The international reserves of the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) stood at EUR 29.565 billion at the end of July, down EUR 628 mln from the end of the previous month, state news wire MTI reports, citing preliminary data released today.

In June 2020, guests spent 75% fewer tourism nights at commercial accommodation establishments in Hungary than in the same month of 2019, with domestic tourists accounting for the vast majority of nights, according to data released by the Central Statistical Office (KSH).

According to DataHouse, 12,196 imported second-hand cars were put on the domestic market in July, an increase of 13% from the previous month and 61% from the April low, writes azenpenzem.hu. 

BKK, the organizer and central company of public transport in Budapest, closed 2019 with a loss of HUF 4.7 billion, according to the companyʼs report, writes hvg.hu.

In June 2020 the volume of industrial production in Hungary dropped by 7.8% year-on-year, according to data published by the Central Statistical Office (KSH).