Gyopáros Alpár, the government commissioner responsible for the development of modern settlements, told Magyar Nemzet:
2,783 small village shops received an average of more than HUF 2.9 million in state support.
The politician reminded: last November, the government announced that it would provide tender opportunities to small shops operating in settlements with less than 2,000 inhabitants, thereby supporting the population to be able to buy basic food locally.
The aim is that these service units do not close, but continue to serve the villagers.
Applications could be submitted until January 31.
According to Alpár Gyopáros, every business that submitted a valid application received support, and they were able to pay the maximum amount to almost everyone.
The amounts won can be used, among other things, for operating support, i.e. overhead costs, gasoline costs, and wage costs.
The popularity and simplicity of the program is shown by the fact that almost seventy percent of those eligible for the application applied for support
The tender makes it possible to save convenience stores in 1,700 settlements.
Among them, there are 661 settlements with only one convenience store, without which the small settlement would be left without shopping opportunities.
Alpár Gyopáros commented on the fact that on Monday, an application opportunity was announced for the civil organizations of small settlements in the Village Civil Fund.
For the national government, the countryside is valuable, village self-organized civil organizations, such as civil guards, volunteer firefighters, traditionalists, singers, folk dancers, sports associations, and charitable associations, also carry out irreplaceable activities in small settlements
said Alpár Gyopáros.
According to his description, in the application, civil organizations can apply for support for real estate investment and renovation, vehicle purchase, equipment purchase and program organization. The upper limit of the support amount that can be applied for is seven million forints for real estate investment and renovation, and for the purchase of a vehicle, and two million forints for the other two subprograms.
The deadline for submitting applications is August 31 at 2 p.m.
Alpár Gyopáros emphasized that in 2020 the range of beneficiaries of the Hungarian village program was expanded, and the Prime Minister’s office also announced a tender for village NGOs operating in settlements with a population of less than 5,000 and under the scope of the civil law, in addition to small settlement municipalities, parishes and school districts.
The government commissioner reported that
in the last three years, more than six thousand village civil organizations received support in 1946 settlements, the amount of support allocated is close to twenty billion forints.
The winners include voluntary firefighting associations, civil guard associations, sports associations, artistic, traditional, village-building, social work associations, and charitable foundations.
These tenders prove that despite the difficult economic situation caused by the protracted war and sanctions, the government is still committed to supporting the Hungarian countryside and small settlements, stated Alpár Gyopáros.
