Hungaryʼs government is allocating HUF 6 billion this year and an annual HUF 5.5 bln from 2020 to ensure Hungarian primary school students get to attend a theater, dance, circus or classical music performance once a year, free of charge, Hungarian news agency MTI reported Tuesday.

Advisory firm BDO Hungary has announced that law office Jókay & Partners is joining the group, operating under the name BDO Legal Jókay & Partners Law Office from now on, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.

The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold HUF 25.0 billion of discount three-month T-bills at auction on Tuesday, in line with its original offer.

Gábor Kóka, leading partner of Deloitte Hungary, takes over the leadership of Deloitte Private in the entire Central European region effective February 1, while remaining a partner of the tax and legal branch of the Hungarian office, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.

After-tax profit of CIG Pannónia Life Insurance fell 19% to HUF 2.1 billion in 2018, an earnings report released early Tuesday shows, state news wire MTI reported.

A background institution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, KKM Oktatási és Rekreációs Kft. (KKM OR), is to provide result–oriented and efficient scholarship programs and language courses within its “Balassi language program” scheme, according to the institutionʼs website kkmor.hu.

The International Society for Applied Biological Sciences (ISABS), the Mayo Clinic and St. Catherine Hospital have announced the 11th ISABS Conference on Forensic and Anthropologic Genetics and Mayo Clinic Lectures in Individualized Medicine, to be held in Split, Croatia, from June 17 to 22, featuring lectures by Nobel laureates.

Hungaryʼs rolling four-quarter net household financial savings ratio slipped to 5.9% of GDP in 2018, show preliminary data published by the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) on Monday, as reported by state news agency MTI.   

The yearly International Travel Exhibition and Boat Show will run this February 21-24 at the Hungexpo Budapest Fair Center (1101 Budapest, Albertirsai út 10). Three hundred exhibitors from 30 countries will present their offerings, with Algeria and Bács-Kiskun County the guests of honor this year. 

Automotive parts manufacturer Enmech Hungary is investing HUF 6.4 billion in expanding production capacity at its base in Pécel on the outskirts of Budapest, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Friday, state news agency MTI reported.

Microsoft Hungary has announced the appointment of former Magyar Telekom CEO Christopher Mattheisen as general manager, effective March 4, 2019, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.

Business IT solutions provider Invitech has announced the appointment of Gerald Grace as Chief Executive Officer. Gerald succeeds David Blunck, who will leave the company by mutual agreement, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.

Hungaryʼs national debt as a percentage of GDP reached 70.9% at the end of last year, down from 73.4% at the end of 2017, preliminary data released by the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) on Monday show, state news wire MTI reported.

Personal loans provider Provident Pénzügyi Zrt. was recognized as Top Employer 2019 by the Top Employers Institute on February 14 in Amsterdam, for the creation of an ideal workplace environment and human capital activity, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.

Sloveniaʼs Minister of the Environment Jure Leben has announced a decree that will cancel the construction of eight previously planned hydroelectric power plants along the river Mura, in order to protect the river, the Budapest Business Journal has learned. 

The National Bank of Hungary (MNB) will withdraw old HUF 10,000 banknotes at the end of this year, a decree published in the latest issue of the official gazette Magyar Közlöny shows, state news agency MTI reported.

The concert series of the Sinfonietta Pannonica Ensemble, representing the musical styles of various nations through each performance, will offer a deeper insight into the music of France at its next concert this Thursday, urania-nf.hu reported.

EuropaProperty has held its 2nd annual CRE Awards at the Marriott Budapest Hotel, on the banks of the Danube. The quality and number of commercial real estate nominations suggests an underlying, and growing confidence in the region’s property markets.

David Holzer talks to ‘X-Files’ and ‘Californication’ star David Duchovny ahead of the actor, writer and musicianʼs debut concert in Budapest.

In this regular biweekly column, Les Nemethy of Central European corporate finance firm Euro-Phoenix questions whether the world really has learned from the last financial crisis.