ATM Access for All: Ensuring the Right to Cash in Every Settlement
Minister of Construction and Transport Discusses Expansion of Cash Usage Rights with Hungarian Government Officials
János Lázár, the Minister of Construction and Transport, recently held discussions with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Márton Nagy, Minister for National Economy, regarding the expansion of the right to use cash in Hungary. The Fidesz parliamentary faction had proposed an amendment to the Fundamental Law to make the use of cash a basic human right for all citizens.
In a video posted on his Facebook page, János Lázár mentioned that they had talked about the necessary steps to achieve this goal following the amendment of the Fundamental Law. The plan includes increasing the number of places and activities where cash can be used, which will require a higher availability of cash through an increase in the number of ATMs and cash dispensers.
Presently, there are only about a thousand cash machines in Hungarian settlements, out of a total of 3,155 settlements in the country. The government aims to have ATMs in every Hungarian settlement to promote the use of cash among the population.
During his annual state of the nation speech, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that the government would support the proposal to guarantee the right to cash in the constitution. This move was also backed by László Toroczkai, President of Our Homeland Movement, and received support from Prime Minister Orbán.
The Prime Minister emphasized that cash usage provides a sense of freedom as it allows individuals to bypass the banking system, hence deserving constitutional protection despite international pressures.
In conclusion, the Hungarian government is working towards ensuring the constitutional protection of the right to use cash in the country, as it believes in the importance of maintaining this traditional form of payment freedom and financial independence.
