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Romanian Citizens To Go To Japan Without Visa, September 1

Romanian citizens will be able to travel to Japan without visa, from September 1, but they will have to present a valid passport, while the visit should not last more than 90 days, according to the Japanese Embassy to Bucharest.

Corus Partners Up With Romanian Peer In EUR12M Deal

Corus, the European arm of India's Tata Steel Ltd., will invest some EUR12 million together with a Romanian peer in a production unit in Sfantu Gheorghe, central Romania, local authorities said Monday.

Romania’s Ruling Coalition OKs 32 Anti-Crisis Measures To Be Enforced Sep 1

Mircea Geoana, head of the Romanian Social Democratic Party, announced Monday after the ruling coalition’s meeting that PSD and PDL agreed on 32 anti-crisis measures that would be enforced on September 1.

Romanian Authorities Confirm 31 New AH1N1 Virus Cases, Toll Reaches 253

Romania’s Center for Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases found 31 new AH1N1 flu cases between August 10-16, which increases the total number of infections to 253, the Health Ministry said Monday.

New Romania – Bulgaria Ferry Line To Be Launched In Oct – Press

The ferry line linking Romania’s Turnu Magurele to Bulgaria’s Nikopol will be launched in October, after the completion of a ten-kilometer road, mayor of the locality Nikopol, Valerii Zhelazkov said cited by Bulgaria’s BTA news agency, Sofia Echo informed on its website.

Romanian Democrat Liberals Propose 37 Anti-Crisis Measures

Romanian economy minister Adriean Videanu presented Sunday in a press conference the anti-crisis measures proposed by his party, such as the widening of de minimis aid for small and medium sized companies (SMEs), adding 37 measures have been found and will be discussed in the Government coalition.

Romanian Low-Cost Tourism Program „One Week By The Sea” To Start Sep 1

The Federation of Owners in Romanian Tourism will launch, between September 1 and 30, the 15th edition of the program "One week by the sea", offering a choice between 62 one to four-star hotels, with prices between 159 lei (EUR1=RON4.2116) and RON400 for six nights.

Romanian Mayors May Keep Staff Above Norms, But Lose Govt Funding

Romanian deputy Prime Minister Dan Nica said Sunday that following talks with local public representatives resulted in the establishment of principles for the decentralization of public administration, including staff norms, which means a reduction in mayoralty staff numbers.

Romania To Resume Econ Growth In 2010 – Pres

Romanian President Traian Basescu on Saturday said on private television ProTV that the country will resume the economic growth as of 2010 and sees no perspective on stopping the negative economic growth of the gross domestic product.

Acting President Traian Basescu Will Run For Second Mandate – Romanian Transp Min

Romanian transport minister Radu Berceanu on Saturday said he is sure that acting president Traian Basescu will run for a second mandate and will announce his candidacy close to the start of the electoral campaign.

Romanian Doctors Should Earn At Least RON5,000 – Health Minister

Romanian health minister Ion Bazac said Friday that the “decent minimum wage” of a doctor should amount to 5,000 lei (EUR1=RON4.2116).

UPDATE: Thirteen Dead, Three Badly Injured In Train-Hit Van, In NE Romania

Other two people of those injured on Friday in the train-hit van in Iasi, north-eastern Romania, died on the way to the hospital, increasing the death toll to thirteen, including one infant, deputy secretary of state Raed Arafat said Friday.

Romania’s Draft Code Of Education Up For Public Debate For 3 Weeks

Romania’s draft Code of Education was launched for public debate Friday, on the Education Ministry’s website and it will be analyzed by social partners and the representatives of parents, pupils and students, over the next three weeks.

Romanian Transport Min Keeps Bridge Toll, Introduces Tachograph Inspections

The Romanian Ministry of Transport will maintain the tax on the Cernavoda bridge and will introduce inspections for road toll, tachographs, as well as a permanent scale for heavy trucks, said transport minister Radu Berceanu.

Romania PM: Public Sector Layoffs Depend On Performance Evaluations, Family Situation

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc on Friday said layoffs in the public sector would be made based on performance evaluations, adding the family situation of certain employees will also be considered to avoid sacking the members of the same family.

Romania Needs At Most 150 Hospitals, Has Triple Number – Health Minister

Romanian health minister Ion Bazac said Friday that Romania needs at most 150 hospitals and the number of hospitals in the country is currently triple and the healthcare sector needs restructuring.

Romanian Prime Minister To Analyze Solutions Regarding Education Laws

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Friday he will analyze the solutions regarding the two packs of laws on education, one drawn up by a presidential commission and the other by the Education Ministry.

Romanian University “Spiru Haret” Allowed To Admit Students For ’09-’10 School Year

The Bucharest Court of Appeals decided Friday to suspend two articles of Government Decision 749/2009 eliminating "Spiru Haret” University from the list of acknowledged universities and banning the organization of 2009-2010 admission contests for new students looking to study at the university.

Romania July Inflation Rate Highest In EU27

Romania reported the highest annual inflation rate in the European Union in July, followed closely by neighbor Hungary, EU’s statistics agency Eurostat said Friday.

Romanian Anticorruption Prosecutors Hear Ex-Youth&Sports Min In Corruption Case

Romania’s former youth and sports minister Monica Iacob Ridzi went Friday morning to the National Anticorruption Department (DNA) for hearings in connection with contracts concluded between the Youth Ministry and companies Artisan and Mark for organizing the festivities on the “Youth Day” on May 2.

Problems In Romanian Judiciary, Public Administration Can Only Be Fixed By Spending Cuts – President

Romanian president Traian Basescu said Friday that problems in the judicial system and public administration can only be solved by lowering expenses, adding the finance minister’s proposal to force people into ten days of unpaid leave is wrong.

Romanian President Says Privatization Auth Was Wrong To Shut Down Tractor Maker

Romanian president Traian Basescu said Friday the country’s privatization authority AVAS was hasty in deciding to shut down tractor maker Tractorul Brasov, adding a government program helping farmers buy tractors would have helped the country’s agriculture sector.

Romanian President Skeptical About Unpaid Leave In Public Sector, Suggests Staff Cuts Instead

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Thursday, in the southeastern county of Tulcea, that forcing public sector employees to take ten days off without pay is not the right solution and recommended staff cuts based on performance evaluations.

Romanian Tourism Ministry To Sue Liberal Ludovic Orban For Slander

Romania's Tourism Ministry will sue liberal Ludovic Orban, president of the inquiry committee investigating the ministry's public spending, for slander and abuse of office after he said none of the advertisement expenses made by the Tourism Ministry were legal.

Romania To Get $1.4B At IMF’s Special Drawing Rights Allocation

The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said it will allocate Romania some $1.4 billion as part of a larger program to inject $250 billion into member states’ foreign exchange reserves to boost liquidity.

Romania’s Unitary Pay Law Won’t Bring Wage Cuts – State Secretary

Restructuring Romania's public sector in 2010 will increase the wages of those that will remain in the system, adding that current wages will not be lowered after the unitary pay law is enforced, said Valentin Mocanu, state secretary with the Romania's Labor Ministry.

Romania Govt Agencies Restructuring Leaves Nearly 9,000 People Jobless

Romanian authorities’ decision to cut the number of government agencies to 113 from a total 226 will leave 8,971 people jobless and cut budget spending by an annual EUR52 million.

Romanian Democrat Liberals Challenge Education Min Over Education Code

The president of the Romanian democratic liberal women, Sulfina Barbu, said Thursday the education law proposed by education minister Ecaterina Andronescu is beyond the governing agenda, and responsibility will be assumed foe the presidential committee’s draft law, which can be amended.

Romanian Foreign Intelligence Service Has No Knowledge Of CIA Prisons In Romania

Romania’s Foreign Intelligence Service said it does not have any data or information regarding the existence of a CIA detention center in Bucharest, as it the New York Times wrote in its online edition Thursday.

One Worker Dead, Another Injured In Work Accident In C Romania

One Romanian worker died and another was injured in an accident on a construction site in Fagaras, central Romania, where they were building a block of flats.

Romanian Rail Co CFR Calatori Eyes Upgrading 150 Wagons For RON330M

Romanian state-run passenger rail company CFR Calatori plans to upgrade 150 wagons over the next four years, for an estimated 330 million lei (EUR1=RON4.2239), VAT excluded.

Romanian Police Officers Resume Protests On Monday

Romanian police officers and customs workers said Wednesday they will resume protests on August 17, following a fruitless meeting on Tuesday with interior minister Dan Nica.

Romania 2Q GDP -1.2% QQ, -8.8% On Yr

Romania’s second quarter gross domestic product shrank by a seasonally adjusted 1.2% compared with the earlier quarter, a flash estimate of the National Statistics Institute, or INS, showed Thursday.

Romanian Govt To Include Salary Bonus Scrapping In New Law Pack On Restructuring – Sources

The Romanian government will scrap salary bonuses for risk and mental distress, confidentiality and mobility, as well as bonuses for job complexity and performance, and the new regulations will be introduced in a draft law for which the Government plans to take responsibility, official sources said.

Romania To Operate Budget Revision By End-Aug – Fin Min

Romania’s budget will be revised in maximum two weeks, to adjust the deficit by lowering expenses and each minister will have to comply, finance minister Gheorghe Pogea told MEDIAFAX on Wednesday.

Romanian Govt Enacts Ordinance On „Spiru Haret” University

Romanian university "Spiru Haret" needs to disband long distance education, organize elections for the position of rector and to complete law studies at four years, according to an Ordinance enacted Wednesday by the Government, legalizing the university.

Romanian Labor Ministry To Cut 1,316 Jobs

Romanian labor minister Marian Sarbu said Wednesday that after the reorganization of the agencies and institutions subordinated to the ministry 1,316 jobs will be cut which would save RON30 million in wage spending a year (EUR1=RON4.2239).

Romanian Govt To Leave Presidential Elections Law Unchanged

The Romanian Government will not amend the number of signatures needed for a candidacy in presidential elections, will not impose monetary guarantees for each candidate and will not amend other conditions for presidential candidacy, said Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc.

Romanian Culture Min To Cut 200 Jobs, Save RON2M To The Budget

The Romanian Ministry of Culture, Cults and National Patrimony (MCCPN) will cut over 200 jobs, which would save RON2 million (EUR1=RON4.2239) to the state budget, culture minister Theodor Paleologu said Wednesday.

Romanian Fiscal Watchdog To Be Reorganized, 477 Job Scrapped

Romanian National Authority for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) will be reorganized in order to improve fiscal control, decision taken after the discussions with the representatives of the International Monetary Fund, and 477 jobs will be cut, finance minister Gheorghe Pogea said Wednesday.