Márton Nagy: consumer protection is a top priority for the government

According to the ministry, trade policy was transferred to the NGM from January 2024, consumer protection from August 2024, and the National Trade and Consumer Protection Authority (NKFH) was established on January 1, 2025. Customers can contact the new, integrated supervision customer service directly in case of a violation of their interests; currently, around 6 thousand inquiries are being handled.

The authority’s focus is on examining food price developments and monitoring compliance with margin restrictions in stores selling food and household goods. On the other hand, e-commerce is a priority area: 8.3% of domestic retail turnover, approximately 1,593 billion forints, is already conducted online, and the authority pays special attention to the practices of foreign web stores and the enforcement of consumer rights in cross-border purchases.

As a macroeconomic framework, the ministry indicated that the annual growth of consumption has been around 4–5% for more than a year and a half, and investments are expected to give a significant boost to growth from the end of 2025. According to Márton Nagy, the task now is to ensure that, as consumer demands shift online and the importance of services increases, supervisory tools “keep pace with consumer habits and technological developments”.

The bottom line for traders: the new, single-handed supervisory structure (NKFH) promises faster case management and more targeted market supervision; margin checks, consistent accountability for information obligations, warranty and guarantee rules and platform liability issues can be expected in both store and online sales. In Márton Nagy’s words: “the protection of consumers and the operational security of honest businesses are two sides of the same coin.”