Orban: Aim to create as many jobs as destroyed by epidemic

The government aims to create as many jobs as the number of jobs destroyed by novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Monday. Orban told public news channel M1 that no Hungarian would be left alone. He presented new economic protection measures, including a wage support scheme, reintroducing 13th month pensions, restoring highlighted sectors of the national economy and granting over 2,000 billion forints (EUR 5.5bn) in loans with interest subsidies or state guarantees to companies. An economic protection action plan will be implemented in three stages, he said. "We have already taken the first step involving the reduction in social security payments, help offered to those paying KATA simplified business tax and the suspension of bank loan repayments," he added.