Inspectors checking workers’ papers at Chinese carmaker BYD’s factory in Hungary: source
Country’s new prime minister has launched an investigation into the Chinese electric vehicle giant’s investment in Hungary
Authorities were focused on checking the papers of workers at the factory in Szeged, Hungary’s third-largest city, the source said, including their residency permits, social security cards, contracts and other legal documents.
The Prime Minister’s office in Budapest did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Tuesday’s inspection was part of the investigation, which followed a public outcry over the appointment of former Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto to an executive role at BYD. When he was foreign minister, Szijjarto negotiated the BYD factory deal.
“We will examine every decision, every negotiation and every state commitment of Peter Szijjarto that was connected to the BYD Hungary investment,” Magyar told lawmakers on Monday.
He vowed to expose “every subsidy, tax break, fast-tracked permit, environmental exemption and publicly funded investment” given by Szijjarto to “hand-picked” corporate giants.
BYD did not immediately reply to a request for comment from the South China Morning Post.
The controversy erupted last week when Szijjarto announced on Facebook that he was resigning from parliament to become the executive in charge of BYD’s external relations and new business development.