Do the Hungarians Understand ... (Budapest)

that their system deters economic growth and development?

Fellow members,

I spent the last several days doing countless tasks for the Hungarian tax authority that makes absolutely no sense.

First of all, I spent a good deal at the Post office because the Hungarian tax authority sends me an enormous amount of registered mail every month. In contrast, the US tax authority has never sent me registered mail. And of course, the Post Office made me wait a half hour while they unsuccessfully searched for some of the letters.

Moreover, your system requires a lawyer to create a company whereas in the States a lawyer is not necessary and rarely involved. Moreover, there is no capital requirement to create an American company and the company charter does not have to specify the company's activities. Nor does an American company have to be a member of the American Chamber of Commerce, but Hungary it is just the opposite. By law I have to pay 5,000 Forints each year to the Hungarian Chamber for nothing. I don't get to vote for the Chamber's President or anything. Just a nest for Fidesz party members.

And every Hungarian employee is required by law to have an annual medical certification to work. Again, I know that isn't the case in most AngloSaxon countries. If that law were actually honored by everybody working in Hungary, the aggregate expense would be easily in the hundreds of millions of Forints just from the visits to the doctor.

If anyone wants to disagree,, feel free to do so because the Hungarian system strikes me as an absolute disaster and yet the average Hungarian would rather spend their time blaming gypsies, Jews, and international banks for their problems.

I don't state any of this with any sadistic pleasure. My daily life would be much easier if the Hungarian system was pragmatic and used common sense. But it is not.