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The 38th Hungarian Oscar Awards
By Zsolt Vetesi
This year’s 38th Hungarian "Oscar Awards" Film-Week
appeared to be an innovative festival in comparison to the
previous such events as three improvements have been initiated.
The first major reform-like change is the division of the
jury’s main prize into best author film and best genre film,
with a double aim. First, as film director Attila Janisch,
Chairman of the Film-Week Board, says, "To persuade and
to inspire genre film-makers to create productions on a much
better quality."
 In
Hungary, the most typical and popular film genre is comedy,
however critics usually question the value of these films
claiming many movies are not entertaining. On the other hand,
many genre film makers complain that the jury has a tendency
to award highly artistic films that are often less popular
among the average cinema-goers. Hopefully, this divided main
prize may find a balance between these two notions.
Read more ›
 JAPAN
BANS HUNGARIAN PORK
Japanese authorities have recently announced
a ban on pork import of Hungary after learning that Hungarian
authorities had isolated cases of swine fever virus in three
wild boars in the N Hungary. Should other countries also impose
such bans Hungary's entire pork production could go bust,
according to officials at Hungarian salami-maker Pick Szeged,
which has significant exports of salami and ‘ready-to-cook’
processed pork meats.
IT’S A GIRL: BABY RHINO BORN IN BUDAPEST ZOO
 A
baby white rhino girl was recently born at the Budapest Zoo.
“Mother and baby are OK,” Peter Czifra, the rhino’s keepers
told Budapest Week, adding that the ‘infant’ weighed in at
58kg (about 128 lbs). Rhino’s have a gestation period of just
over 16 months. The rhino calf was the result of artificial
insemination, the first ever such baby rhino to be born in
captivity through this procedure. Zoo keepers said the mother
rhino Lulu is about 26 years old. The White Rhinoceros, or
Square-lipped rhinoceros belongs to the family Ceratotherium
simum and is one of the five species of rhinoceros that still
exists. According to wikipedia (www.wikipedia.com)
the Northern White Rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum cottoni),
formerly widespread in Central and East Africa south of the
Sahara, has been classified “Critically Endangered”. While
rapidly loosing its habitat, when last counted in the 1970
it was believed to have a wild population of 500. But due
to poaching, bad administration, ongoing civil wars and lack
of global interest and funding it is believed that there are
currently mere four of these animals still living in the wild
on the planet today and unless something is done dramatically
they may be on the Extinct Species List by 2010. In general
the rhino horn is believed to have traditional medicinal values,
although this has never been proven scientifically (perhaps
considered a placebo). Poachers also hunt for rhino horns
to make the “jambiya”, a dagger used in the Middle East. A
recent population count of White Rhino in the Congo turned
up only 10 rhinos left in the wild. This led conservationists
in January 2005 to propose airlifting White Rhinos from Garamba
into Kenya. Although official approval was initially obtained,
resentment of foreign political interference within the Congo
has prevented the airlift from taking place in Jan 2006.
 VILLAGE
MAYOR DENIES URANIUM EXPLORATION LICENSE
Ferenc Rott, 55, Mayor of the tiny village of
Mariakemend (which has a population of about 560 people and
is located halfway between Mohacs and Pecs in SW Hungary)
has denied, to Budapest Week, recent rumors in the press that
claim the Australian-based ‘international uranium development
company’ WildHorse Energy had been granted a permit for the
exploration of Uranium in and around their area of jurisdiction.
“Neither us nor the mining authority knows anything about
any company wanting to explore Uranium in our area,” said
Rott. Hungarian media reports claimed that WildHorse Energy
has been “granted a uranium exploration permit by Hungary.”
Adding that the “license is for a project at Mariakemend to
add to WildHorse's uranium portfolio in S Hungary, close to
its existing projects in the Pecs region.”
STUDENTS AND TEACHERS END HUNGER STRIKE
 Students
and teachers recently announced that they have ended what
they called "more than a week of hunger-striking",
in their attempt to pressure the government and save schools
from closing down. One of the strikes took place in a Gyula
Lengyel Vocational Highschool in Budapest where 150 people
pledged to hunger-strike for at least 150 hours, to demonstrate
that their school was founded 150 years ago and was among
the top academic performers in the capital city. The school
said it is currently in talks with the Budapest City Council
(BCC) and hopes to reach a solution by the end of this week.
The school is also concerned about the arrival of new first-year
students in September. Their application process expires in
February and should the BCC insist on closing down the school
they will have to be transferred to another "similar
school elsewhere." Parents and teachers expressed their
disappointment calling the BCC members "short-sighted" and "imprudent." Teachers
said the school was expecting a new wave of some of the brightest
students this semester, but regretted to added that many had
applied to other schools when their parents heard of the BBC's
announcement of the closure.
BUDAPEST’S OWN LAS VEGAS
 As
part of a consortium the Israeli-owned real estate development
company Plaza Centers plans to build a “Hungarian Las Vegas”
on Budapest’s Hajogyari sziget (near to the sight of the annual
Sziget Music Festival) in Budapest’s District 3. The group
has started ground-work for the sight on which it plans to
build sports, entertainment and recreation centers at a cost
of EUR 1 billion (USD 1.3 billion). The company hopes to this
will be “Europe’s biggest entertainment center,” including
theatres, casino, at least 6,000 hotel rooms and an indoor
Aqua-park. About 12 years ago the company built what it then
dubbed as “Hungary’s first modern shopping mall” under the
name DunaPlaza, in Budapest’s District 13, on the industrial
area, once home to the Ganz-Danubius shipbuilding factory.
Plaza Centers carried out the development project with, the
now defunct, Transelectro group, that came under scrutiny
last year after swallowing several billions of forints in
taxpayers money to try keep it afloat. The Ministry of Economics
and Transport allocated at least HUF 3 billion (USD 15 million)
to try help save Transelectro.
BABOLNA TO PRODUCE 25KT/YR BIO-DIESEL
 The
Babolna bio-diesel plant (owned by investor Oko-Line Kft)
told Budapest Week that it would be launching operations for
a 25kt/yr output as of Mar 2007. Gergely Novak, said, "This
year we plan to run at a capacity output of 25,000 tons and
hope to increase this to 50,000 tons in 2008." He explained
that the plant is operating on producing diesel fuel from
rape seed. The investment to upgrade and expand a former biodiesel
plant (originally constructed in 1994) in Babolna, located
in NW Hungary, cost Oko-Line at least Forint 5-bil ($25.22-mil),
he said. Oko-Line acquired the ailing plant in 2003 when it
was capable of a capcity output of 18 kt/yr. Novak said that
while the Babolna plant was being developed there were at
least three rape seed press centers set up in Hungary to supply
them with the needed raw material. One of these press-houses
was in Nagyimand, near Babolna and others were expected to
be erected in Szerencs (NE Hungary), Tab (SW Hungary) and
Pacsa (SW Hungary), where in each of their vacinities rape
seed is being produced on at least 10,000 hectares. Novak
says the Hungary’s oil and gas giant MOL has pledged to purchase
most of its bio-diesel production output. Oko-Line expects
to generate at least Forint 11-bil ($55.47-mil) from sales
in 2007, implying that this would double in 2008. Based on
European Union requirements Hungary (and other 26 member states)
is to increase its fuel from bio-diesel by 5.75% by 2010.
Oko-Line is fully owned by a Hungarian joint venture where
50% is held by Kesz Kft and 50% by Resonator Kft.
OPPOSITION AGAINST POWER PRICE HIKES
 Hungary's
leading opposition party, the center-right Fidesz Alliance,
has demanded that the ruling Socialist-Liberal government
coalition cancel its power price hikes announced for Feb 1,
2007 for household consumers in Hungary. Peter Szijjarto,
a spokesman for Fidesz said the government has already implemented
tough austerity measures and above this Hungarian families
would have to pay as much as HUF 500 (USD 2.50)/month more
for the end cost of their power. He also said he did not agree
with Economic Minister Janos Koka's suggestions that his government "can
not afford" to subsidize the latest price hike of household
power with HUF 26-mil (USD 131,000)/day for household consumers.
Szijjarto said, "I don't see why the Hungarian Government
could not afford HUF 26-mil (USD 131,100)/day for household
power (subsidies) when its spends as much as HUF 60-mil (USD
302,500)/day on protocol issues." As of Feb 1, 2007 the
government plans to increase the price of power by at least
4.6% for households and at least 5.2% for those working in
the power sector. The last time the government increased the
price of household power energy (despite having earlier promised
not to do so) was on Aug 1, 2006 when households had to dig
deeper into their pockets for the 12.6% power price hike.
 EDS
Hungary boost revenue to HUF 13.53 billion in 2006 (up 10%
yr/yr)
 The
Hungarian subsidiary of US-based global information technologies
outsourcing group Electronic Data Systems (EDS) in 2006 boosted
its revenues to HUF 13.53 billion (up 10% yr/yr), Laszlo Szakal,
CEO of EDS in Hungary said at a recent press gathering. The
company closed its previous fiscal year with revenues of HUF
12.3 billion. The company said it centers in Hungary have
increased staff headcount by 400 to total 1,450 last year. "This
year EDS Hungary plans to hire 300 more workers," said
Szakal. He expressed, "EDS Hungary achieved its targets
and maintained its leading position on the IT outsourcing
market depite the (unfavourable) changed economic situation
in Hungary and we would like to continue our rate of growth
in 2007, led by exports and public sector services. "
Development Bank offers more favorable loans
for SMEs
 The
Hungarian Development Bank (MFB) is offering considerable
amounts in credit loans to small and medium sized enterprises
(SME) under the Hungarian Government's Economic Development
Operative Program (GOP). MFB offers HUF 4 for every HUF 1
that SMEs can produce for project for developing the Hungarian
economy. SMEs need to show 'collateral' money of at least
25% up front. If they can show 70% project financing up front
they can receive non-repayable loans up to max 30% of the
total cost of their projects, deductable from all expenses
incurred. MFB helps cash-strapped SMEs to launch projects,
by offering them favorable credit loans earmarked at a total
HUF 20 billion.
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