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Romania Revised GDP Data Show Mild Quarterly Growth In 3Q/09

Romania’s gross domestic product grew modestly in the third quarter of 2009 compared with a quarter earlier, putting a temporary stop to the country’s economic decline, according to revised data from the statistics institute INS.

Medicine Prices Might Rise By About 6.25% As Of April 1 – Romanian Health Min

Romanian health minister’s adviser Sipos Emse said Wednesday the price of medicine might rise by about 6.25% starting April, after modifying medicine prices according to the exchange rate used in setting the 2010 budget.

Romanian Mayor Charged With Bribery, Forgery, Placed Under Preventive Arrest

The mayor of the southern Romanian city Craiova, Antonie Solomon, was placed under 29-day preventive arrest Wednesday afternoon, after some five hours of hearings, under charges of soliciting bribe, forgery and use of forgery.

Romania Doesn’t Blur Statistics, Contrary Reports ‘Malicious’ – Fin Min

Romania doesn’t modify its data regarding macroeconomic indicators and possible differences between the figures announced by authorities regarding the same indicator come from initial estimates and actual preliminary or final calculations, Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu said Wednesday.

Romanian MEP’s Match-Fixing Trial Suspended, File Sent To Constitutional Court

The Romanian High Court of Justice suspended Wednesday the trial in which FC Steaua Bucuresti owner Gigi Becali is indicted for bribery in a match-fixing case and will send the file to the Constitutional Court to settle an exception of unconstitutionality raised by one of the defense lawyers.

Romanian Democrat Liberals Want Senate’s Social Democrat Chairman Suspended

The leader of democrat liberal senators, Constantin Igas, said Wednesday democrat liberals will set off procedures to suspend the Senate’s social democrat Chairman Mircea Geoana for his refusal to hold a vote on independent lawmakers’ request to keep their positions in parliament standing committees.

Romanian Senate Adopts Amended Draft Fiscal Responsibility Law

Romania’s Senate on Wednesday amended and adopted a draft fiscal responsibility law, which sets limits on budget revisions operated throughout one year and provides fiscal rules on total spending, staff expenses and budget deficit.

Romania Ctrl Bk To Cut Key Rate Again But Not By Much

Romania's central bank will reduce in the upcoming period the key monetary policy rate, but not significantly, said Wednesday Lucian Croitoru, an adviser of the central bank governor Mugur Isarescu.

Romanian Subway Co Metrorex Might Up Ticket Prices 5-7% This Year

Romania’s state-owned subway company Metrorex could increase subway pass prices by 5-7% this year if inflation tops 5% for the interval May 2009- May 2010, company general manager Gheorghe Udriste said Wednesday.

New Romanian Dacia Duster SUV Available On British Mkt At End- 2012

French carmaker Renault, owner of Romania’s Automobile Dacia, said Wednesday that Dacia’s new crossover SUV, the Duster, will enter the British market at the end of 2012.

Final Court Ruling Finds Romanian Subway Strike Last Year Was Legal

The Bucharest Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday a two-day subway strike in November last year was legal and subway unionists may resume their protests anytime.

Bucharest Court Sentences Ex Deputy Nati Meir To 4Yr Jail Term In Swindling Case

Former deputy Nati Meir was sentenced to a four-year jail term by the Bucharest Court after he deceived several people to whom he promised jobs in Israel.

Romania’s Cantacuzino Institute Gets RON1M State Funds To Unlock Vaccine Production

Romania's government decided in its meeting Wednesday to assign a total 1 million lei (EUR1=RON4.1092) to the Cantacuzino Institute needed to finalize a series of works and verify its vaccine production parameters and obtain all approvals needed to continue producing vaccines.

Romania’s OMV Petrom Hikes Pump Prices By RON0.06/Liter

Romania’s largest oil company OMV Petrom (SNP.RO) raised Wednesday its gasoline and diesel oil pump prices by 0.06 lei (EUR1=RON4.1092) per liter, the second increase in the past few days, following the increase of international quotations for crude oil products.

Witness Says Romania’s Fmr Envoy To Singapore Had Been Drinking Before Car Accident

Romania's former envoy to Singapore Silviu Ionescu had been drinking alcohol on the night the embassy car he was allegedly driving hit three people, killing one, according to the first witness in the case, quoted by The Straits Times online.

Family Of Late Romanian Comedy Actor Sues Doctor Over Moral Damages

The family of Romanian comedy actor Toni Tecuceanu, who died early January following severe lung complications, has sued doctor Adrian Streinu Cercel for damages brought to Tecuceanu’s image and has also requested to be handed the actor’s medical record.

Romania Revised ‘09 GDP -7.1% On Year, Less Than Expected

Romania’s gross domestic product shrank by a less than expected 7.1% on the year in 2009, amounting to 491.2 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.1092), revised data from the statistics institute INS showed Wednesday.

Romanian Anticorruption Prosecutors Detain Mayor Charged With Bribery, Forgery

Antonie Solomon, mayor of southern Romanian town Craiova and leader of the local branch of the country's ruling Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), was heard and detained by anticorruption prosecutors for 24 hours on charges of bribe taking, intellectual forgery and use of forgery.

Romanian Econ Min Plans “Major” Chinese-Financed Projects In ’09

Romania and China intend to begin, this year, on the Romanian market, a series of “major” projects, with Chinese financing, and to encourage companies in the two states to collaborate in areas such as energy, infrastructure or environmental protection.

Romanian Senators Who Quit Their Parties To Lose Spots In Senate Committees

The Romanian Senate’s Standing Office decided Tuesday, after putting the matter to the vote, senators who quit parliamentary parties to join the independent group of MPs will lose their positions in parliament standing committees.

Romania PM: Govt To Earmark Extra Funds For 2010 Clunkers Program, If Necessary

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc on Tuesday said the government has enough financial resources to scrap at least 60,000 used cars in 2010, adding it will earmark extra funds for the 2010 clunkers program, if necessary.

Romanian Social Democrats To Challenge Law Allowing Political Appointees At Decentralized Services

Romania’s opposition Social Democratic Party will challenge the draft law on the Statute of Public Servants in the Constitutional Court, arguing the law allows political appointments at the helm of the country's decentralized state institutions, social democrat lawmaker Mircea Dusa said Tuesday.

Drugs Transiting Romania Could Be Stored Locally – U.S. Report

Romania is not a major source of narcotics, but it remains an important transit country for the drugs on the Northern Balkans route, according to a 2009 narcotics report released by the U.S. State Department Tuesday.

Romanian Liberals To Initiate Two Motions Targeting Healthcare System, Business Environment

Romanian liberal deputy Eugen Nicolaescu said Tuesday liberals will submit in two weeks a motion regarding the country’s healthcare system, adding another motion targeting the business environment will be submitted when the amendments to the Fiscal Code are presented.

Thousands On Waiting List For New Romanian Dacia Duster SUV

There is a waiting list of several thousand customers to buy Romanian carmaker Dacia’s new model, the Duster, commercial director Fabrice Cambolive said Tuesday, adding that the car will be available through the national clunkers program.

Corruption Still Serious Issue In Romania – USA State Dept Report

Corruption was still a serious issue in Romanian institutions in 2009, including the judiciary and law enforcement branches, according to the U.S. Department of State’s International Narcotics Control Strategy Report, which criticized the difficulty in obtaining convictions.

Romanian Ruling Party Pushes Public Servants’ Statute Through Lower Chamber

The Romanian Chamber of Deputies adopted Tuesday, with 172 pros, no cons and no abstentions the draft law on the Statute of Public Servants, while the two main opposition parties, PNL and PSD were absent from the proceedings.

Romanians’ Pvt Pension Contributions Increased To 2.5% As Of Feb – Pension House Head

Romanians’ contributions to mandatory private pensions will grow by 0.5% as of February to reach 2.5%, National Pension House (CNPAS) president Doina Parcalabu said Tuesday.

Cigarette Smuggling In Romania Accounts For 36% Of Market

Smuggled cigarettes have come to account for 36% of the total Romanian cigarette market in the first two months of the year, from 22% in the last quarter of 2009, according to a survey by Novel Research.

Romanian President Basescu To Buy Dacia’s First SUV

Romania’s President Traian Basescu will be Romanian automaker Dacia’s first client for its new SUV, Dacia Duster, company officials said Tuesday.

Euro Area Inflation Seen Falling To 0.9% In February

Euro area annual inflation is expected to fall slightly to 0.9% in February 2010 according to a flash estimate issued Tuesday by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.

Around 30% Of Romanian Public Pension Contributors Earn Less Than RON800

Around 30% of Romanian contributors to the public pension system earn less than 800 lei (EUR1=RON4.1054), and about one million of them are registered as earning less than RON600, National Pension House (CNPAS) president Doina Parcalabu said Tuesday.

Romanian Pvt Pension Funds Lack Enough Liquidity For Long-Term Investments

Private pension funds in Romania don’t have enough liquidity yet to invest in long-term treasuries and prefer short-term investments, Bogdan Dragoi, state secretary with the Finance Ministry, said Tuesday.

Romania 1-Yr T-Bill Yields Seen Falling Below 7% A Year

Yields at Romania’s local debt sales should fall below the key monetary policy rate, of 7% on the year, a Finance Ministry official said Tuesday.

Romanian Carmaker Dacia Announces Local Market Prices Of New Duster Model

Dacia’s new crossover SUV, the Duster, can be bought in Romania for between EUR10,500 and EUR15,600 (including VAT), the Romanian carmaker announced Tuesday.

Fmr Romanian Diplomat Indicted For Negligent Homicide Willing To Pay Moral Damages – Press

Former Romanian diplomat Silviu Ionescu, who was indicted for negligent homicide following a car accident in Singapore on December 15, 2009, said he will pay moral damages to the families of the car crash victims, newspaper The Straits Times reported on its website Tuesday.

Romanian Revolution Files Declassified On March 10 – Defense Min

Romanian Defense Minister Gabriel Oprea welcomed Monday a delegation led by Teodor Maries, president of the 21 December 1989 Association, telling them the Ministry of Defense is doing everything possible to learn the truth about the 1989 Revolution.

Romania Among States Which Implemented Most EU Directives On Internal Market – EC Report

Romania has a directive transposition deficit of only 0.3%, meaning it is among the member states with the least remaining unimplemented EU directives concerning the internal market, according to a Commission report, which also points out Romania is targeted in 21 infringement cases.

Romanian Authorities Hike Temporary Passport Fees To RON112

The tax for the Romanian simple temporary passport was increased Monday by RON16 (EUR1=RON4.1054), reaching RON112, since the cost for the issue of the document was hiked from RON64.2 to RON80, added with a RON32 consular tax.

Moody’s: Romanian Banking System’s Outlook Is Negative

The fundamental credit outlook for the Romanian banking sector is negative, reflecting the challenging conditions in the local economy stemming from the global financial crisis, according to Moody's Investors Service's new Banking System Outlook on Romania.