Viktor Orbán has announced the withdrawal of the proposal of the controversial internet tax in the public radio this morning. Orbán said that he was considering the issue rather a technical question of taxation and he is still convinced that extending the telecommunication tax would be just. “It is necessary to find out where the huge profit from internet services goes and whether parts of it could be kept in Hungary and channeled into the budget,” Orbán said.
The Prime Minister pointed out that now the process cannot go ahead as “the common basis is missing”, with the people envisioning an internet tax, when in reality it is the extension of the already existing telecommunications tax. However, since “the debate has gone astray”, it would be a communist attitude to force the process against the will of the people, he said.
Instead of the internet tax a National Consultation will be launched on the telecommunication matters, including financial aspects, Viktor Orbán said. It may begin after the holidays in mid-January 2015. Ruling party FIDESZ announced that MEP Tamás Deutsch would lead the National Consultation on internet policy.
“National Consultation instead of internet tax. It will begin mid-January” (Viktor Orbán’s Facebook Page) – Hungary Today
via hirado.hu and kormany.hu photo: Péter Kollányi – MTI