Hungaryʼs Parliament passed the Act on Foundation Trusts on March 5, with the main purpose of introducing the concept, to provide a legal framework in addition to already operating trusts, and to manage, preserve and enlarge private equity owned by families for future generations, says a press release from law firm Kinstellar.

Many fresh programs and several new animals await visitors for the new season at Budapest Zoo and Botanical Garden, which switched to its spring opening hours in March. Among the new species, Cuban crocodiles and several sharks have been added.   

Since February this year, Liegl & Dachser customers in Hungary have been able to use a new direct international shipping route, running between Pilisvörösvár (NW of Budapest) and Strasbourg in France, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal. 

Hungarian funk-rock-beat band The Qualitons has been invited for an in-studio performance on March 22 hosted by the popular Seattle alternative radio station KEXP, recorder.blog.hu reported.

The Hungarian government launched a website on Tuesday that aims to keep Hungarian nationals in the U.K. and British nationals in Hungary informed of the impact of the U.K.ʼs impending divorce from the European Union, state news wire MTI reported.

The Government Debt Management Agency (ÁKK) sold HUF 20.0 billion of discount three-month T-bills at auction on Tuesday, lowering its original offer by HUF 5 bln.   

Government-friendly conservative channel Echo TV will cease independent operations starting April 2019 and become part of the similarly pro-government Hír TV, with several of Echo TVʼs programs set to be continued after the merger, news portal Index.hu reports.

The Italian Chamber of Commerce for Hungary (CCIU) is holding an event today, March 19, entitled "Focus Hungary," in cooperation with business association Confindustria Macerata, and in collaboration with the Hungarian Embassy in Italy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Pest County.

Award-winning Hungarian journalist and broadcaster György Baló passed away at the age of 71 on Monday, some three months after announcing he was seeking medical treatment for his long-term health problems, according to local media reports.

Carsharing services firm GreenGo and energy provider ELMŰ-ÉMÁSZ have added another element to their cooperation, as GreenGo is now also serving the latterʼs Megyeri út site outside its service area, with a fast charger for the GreenGo fleet installed there for the companyʼs employees using the fully electric car fleet.

Revenue of Hungaryʼs ICT sector rose 7.1% to HUF 3,398 billion last year, a summary of data compiled by the Central Statistical Office (KSH) shows, according to state news wire MTI.

MediCorp Hungary Zrt., the firm behind MediCall, a smartphone app launched two years ago in Hungary aiming to combat the phenomenon of bad self-diagnosis on the internet, received a HUF 200 million capital investment in December.

A recently announced government subsidy for large families to buy passenger cars could lift sales by up to 10,000 vehicles this year, the head of the Hungarian Association of Automobile Dealers (GÉMOSZ) said on public television Tuesday, state news agency MTI reported.

To mark the “Month of the Francophonie,” the Embassy of Canada, in cooperation with the French Institute, presents a one-day mini-retrospective featuring the most popular movies of well-known Canadian director Denys Arcand, on Saturday, March 23, at the French Institute. 

Grandhouse International Club is organizing an “Art Nouveau Walk” through Budapest on Saturday, March 23, starting at 10 a.m.  The guided walk is for a maximum 20 participants, plus family and guests.

The board of Magyar Telekom has formally proposed payment of a HUF 25 per-share dividend on last yearʼs earnings in submissions to the companyʼs annual general meeting, posted on the website of the Budapest Stock Exchange (BÉT) late Monday, state news wire MTI reported.

Budapest Airport, operator of Ferenc Liszt International Airport, has announced that the facility will operate using only one runway from mid-April to early June, due to works related to the Instrument Landing System (ILS) on Runway 2.

Budget chain Meininger Hotels has opened its first hotel in Hungary, the Meininger Budapest Great Market Hall, as the next stage of its international expansion, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.

The value of purchases made in Hungary with domestically issued bank cards rose 21% year-on-year to HUF 1,547.5 billion in the fourth quarter, data released by the National Bank of Hungary (MNB) show, state news wire MTI reported Monday.

BNP Paribas Real Estate Hungary has been mandated by Immofinanz to provide property management services as of January 2019, involving about 160,000 sqm of the Hungarian office portfolio owned by the company, according to a press release sent to the Budapest Business Journal.