Matolcsy names delegation for talks with banks

National Economy Minister Gyorgy Matolcsy has named a three-person delegation to consult with the Hungarian Banking Association, the National Economy Ministry said on Tuesday.

The delegation will be headed by state secretary for financial policy Gyula Pleschinger. It will include Marton Nagy, a director at the National Bank of Hungary (NBH), and Laszlo Balogh, the deputy chief of financial market watchdog PSZAF.

The National Economy Ministry said it agreed that problems must be solved together, explaining why it supported the initiation of the consultations.

The Hungarian Banking Association submitted proposals on easing the burden for retail borrowers with foreign currency-denominated mortgages to the government on Thursday.

Association head Daniel Gyuris said on Tuesday that banks were willing to bear a sacrifice of several hundred billion forints over the next five years if a package deal can be reached on proposals submitted to the government.

In a statement published late Tuesday, Hungary’s central bank said it learnt of the makeup of the delegation only informally. The NBH was not informed officially, in writing, of the matter, thus it did not name a delegate.

If the NBH is asked officially, deputy governor Julia Kiraly will represent it at the talks with banks, it said.