Békéscsaba faces significant municipal budget shortfall

The municipality of Békéscsaba is facing a significant budget shortfall, with local business tax (HIPA) revenues expected to be approximately one billion forints lower than anticipated. Based on advance payments due on September 15, the city council is preparing an October intervention package to balance the budget within three months.

While the 2025 budget accounted for 7.52 billion forints in business tax, current data suggests only 6.5 billion forints will be collected. This follows a period where 55 companies submitted requests for payment reductions totaling roughly 300 million forints. Mayor Péter Szarvas stated that while the municipality remains solvent, the situation is serious.

Local MP István Bodóczi has requested clarification from the municipality regarding the processes that led to such a significant discrepancy between planned and actual revenues.