Prosecution services and courts will receive more money next year according to Deputy Prime Minister Tibor Navracsics. This additional funding will create an opportunity to establish an anti-corruption working group at the Prosecution Services and could speed up court procedures, said the minister last Tuesday at an anti-corruption conference hosted by Transparency International Hungary.
Navracsics said that an increase is expected in next year’s financial plan in both the Prosecution Services’ and the courts’ budget. The budgets of the aforementioned organizations will grow by three billion forints, and in addition, will receive a one billion forint anti-corruption package. It allows the hiring of 55 new employees so that an anti-corruption working group can be formed.
Regarding the courts: a three billion forint “accelerator package” will be initiated, which will serve to create the necessary personnel and material conditions for speeding up court procedures.
According to the deputy PM, amendments to the procedural laws will be submitted to Parliament this year, and lawmakers are also working on a new public procurement law. Navracsics also talked about the new Constitution. He believes that the Parliament is not willing to modify basic institutions; the fundamental character of the Hungarian parliamentary system – i.e. the independence of the judiciary system– will not be changed. However, the new Constitution will include a public finance chapter, which will bring the regulation of public funds under Constitutional control.
Navracsics also said that the fight against corruption will be emphasized, and it will be assisted by the reform of public administration. As the latter will be hierarchic again, the new vertical system will better filter corruption than the horizontal, side-by-side system. The economy is expected to be improved through the flat-rate personal income tax system.
In reply to a question, he said he would like to see the use of a code of conduct becoming commonplace in public administration, which could be read by citizens also. They are currently developing a code of conduct for public servants, he added.
