Hungarian State Audit Office flags billions wasted by Food Rescue Center

Hungary’s State Audit Office (Állami Számvevőszék) reported serious irregularities in the Food Rescue Center Nonprofit Ltd. (Élelmiszermentő Központ Nonprofit Kft.). The audit found that the organisation, created in 2022 to channel surplus food from supermarket chains to charities, failed to carry out any food‑rescue activity. Despite receiving about HUF 3.8 billion in state support in 2023, the centre spent HUF 2.8 billion on an IT system that was never put into operation and paid an additional HUF 4.6 billion for system‑maintenance services that could not be verified. The audit noted missing procurement documentation, unclear contract arrangements with retailers, and the inability of auditors to access the system because the centre lacked a valid operating contract. The State Audit Office has referred the case to the relevant authorities on suspicion of criminal activity and has also raised concerns about other public‑funded projects, such as the Vác City Football Club, where similar financial irregularities were identified.