Hungary expands social firewood program amid funding disputes

Debate has emerged regarding Hungary’s social firewood program following announcements by Minister László Gajdos to double the available quantity of firewood and the budget for the program. Additionally, the VAT on firewood purchased through retailers is set to decrease from 27% to 5% starting September 15.

Former Agriculture Minister István Nagy has raised concerns regarding the implementation of these measures. He noted that state forest enterprises have not yet received 4.2 billion forints owed to them following extraordinary winter supply provisions. Questions remain regarding the timeline for applications and whether sufficient harvested firewood will be available for the upcoming heating season.