BUDAPEST, April 27 (Reuters) - Hungary's government has discussed changing the system of drug subsidies but has not made a final decision yet, government spokesman Anna Nagy said on Wednesday after the government meeting.
'(The government) will spend drug subsidy funds in a smarter way,' Nagy told a press conference. 'The government discussed ideas about that for the first time today but has not made a final decision yet.'
The cabinet will discuss the issue again at the end of May.
A drug industry source told Reuters earlier on Wednesday that the government may raise the tax payable by drug makers on subsidised drug sales to 20 percent from the current 12 percent.
(Reporting by Krisztina Than and Marton Dunai; Editing by Louise Heavens)
((marton.dunai@reuters.com; +36 1 327 4742; Reuters Messaging: marton.dunai.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: HUNGARY PHARMA/GOVT
BUDAPEST, April 28 (Reuters) - Hungary's three-month rolling unemployment rate rose to 11.6 percent in January-March from 11.5 percent in December-February, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said on Thursday.
Unemployment peaked at a 17-year high of 11.8 percent in the first quarter of 2010.
Numbers of unemployed totalled 489,800 in January-March compared with 487,100 in December-February but were below 497,800 in the same period a year earlier.
The number of people in work was 3.733 million, down from 3.743 million in the previous three-month period, but slightly above 3.719 million a year earlier.
The labour market activity rate was 55 percent in the 15-74 age group, down from 55.1 percent in December-February.
(Reporting by Marton Dunai) Keywords: HUNGARY JOBLESS/ (marton.dunai@reuters.com; +36 1 327 4742; Reuters Messaging: marton.dunai.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.
'(The government) will spend drug subsidy funds in a smarter way,' Nagy told a press conference. 'The government discussed ideas about that for the first time today but has not made a final decision yet.'
The cabinet will discuss the issue again at the end of May.
A drug industry source told Reuters earlier on Wednesday that the government may raise the tax payable by drug makers on subsidised drug sales to 20 percent from the current 12 percent.
(Reporting by Krisztina Than and Marton Dunai; Editing by Louise Heavens)
((marton.dunai@reuters.com; +36 1 327 4742; Reuters Messaging: marton.dunai.reuters.com@reuters.net))
Keywords: HUNGARY PHARMA/GOVT
BUDAPEST, April 28 (Reuters) - Hungary's three-month rolling unemployment rate rose to 11.6 percent in January-March from 11.5 percent in December-February, the Central Statistics Office (KSH) said on Thursday.
Unemployment peaked at a 17-year high of 11.8 percent in the first quarter of 2010.
Numbers of unemployed totalled 489,800 in January-March compared with 487,100 in December-February but were below 497,800 in the same period a year earlier.
The number of people in work was 3.733 million, down from 3.743 million in the previous three-month period, but slightly above 3.719 million a year earlier.
The labour market activity rate was 55 percent in the 15-74 age group, down from 55.1 percent in December-February.
(Reporting by Marton Dunai) Keywords: HUNGARY JOBLESS/ (marton.dunai@reuters.com; +36 1 327 4742; Reuters Messaging: marton.dunai.reuters.com@reuters.net) COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.