Viktor Orban and GKI

GKI: The index rose to 1.7, the highest since 1998, from minus 0.7 in March, the GKI research institute in Budapest said in an e-mailed statement today. The business gauge rose to a 16-year high of 7.7 from 4.7 and the consumer-confidence index improved to minus 15.3, the strongest level since 2006, from minus 15.9, according to Business Week. The perception of Hungarys economic outlook improved in all industries and also among consumers, GKI said. Optimistic companies outnumbered pessimists in all areas except construction. GKIs indexes are a balance of positive and negative answers to questions about the outlook for the economy. Stable Outlook Hungarys economic-sentiment index was positive in April for the first time in almost 16 years as business confidence grew and consumers became less pessimistic after Prime Minister Viktor Orban won a second four-year term. Orban, whose Fidesz party retained its two-thirds parliamentary majority in April 6 parliamentary elections, is seeking to accelerate an economic recovery following a recession in 2012. Orban has pledged to continue the line of economic policy that lowered the budget deficit to below 3 percent of gross domestic product by levying extraordinary taxes on financial, telecommunication and utility companies. (news.financializer.com). As reported in the news.