English

Romanian Govt OKs Health Vouchers

19:18, 01 Iul. 2009
The Romanian executive on Wednesday approved the introduction of health vouchers, setting a maximum yearly cap of 600 lei (EUR1-RON4.1892), Health Minister Ion Bazac said.

Romanian Regional Railway Employees Stop Activity, Bucharest Employees Threaten To Follow Suit

18:35, 01 Iul. 2009
Romanian Transports Ministry state secretary Constantin Axinia said Wednesday that national railway company CFR employees will receive their late salaries by Monday, while those who stop trains will be held responsible and may even be sacked.

Romanian Coaches Must Attend Press Conferences Or Face Fines

18:13, 01 Iul. 2009
Romanian Football Federation's Coach School principal Mircea Radulescu said Wednesday that League I coaches who fail to attend press conferences after official games will be fined 10,000 lei (EUR1=RON4.1892).

New Fees On Roaming Calls, Texts And Surfing In The EU Take Effect

17:04, 01 Iul. 2009
The new costs of texting, calling and web surfing abroad while in the EU, regulated by the European Commission, entered into effect on Wednesday.

Romanian Drivers Can Settle Fender Benders Amiably As Of July 1

15:18, 01 Iul. 2009
Romanian drivers involved in fender benders no longer face fines or license suspensions, provided they choose to settle the incident amiably, road police said.

Romania’s Ctrl Bker Disagrees WithAny Hikes Of Major Taxes

15:14, 01 Iul. 2009
Romanian central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Wednesday he personally disagrees with an increase in any of the major taxes, and even with talks on this issue, which confuses people and the market even more.

Romanian Cos Targeting 6-Mo Budget Debt Payment Delay To Submit Bk/Property Guarantees

15:07, 01 Iul. 2009
The Romanian companies aiming to postpone paying budget debts for a six-month period will be compelled to guarantee the subsequent debt reimbursement through banking and/or real estate letters of guarantee, which need to cover the deferred amounts and any delay penalties.

Romanian Foreign Ministry Confirms Romanian Woman Victim Of Italy Train Blast

15:03, 01 Iul. 2009
The Romanian Foreign Ministry has received confirmation from Italian authorities that a woman of Romanian nationality is among the victims of the train accident in Italy on Monday night, ministry spokesman Alin Serbanescu told MEDIAFAX on Wednesday.

Romanian Court Sentences Ex-RADET Head Gheorghe Dabela To Six Yrs In Prison For Corruption

14:49, 01 Iul. 2009
The Bucharest Court of Appeals on Wednesday sentenced the former general manager of Bucharest heating company RADET, Gheorghe Dabela, to six years in prison and two years of suspended rights for bribery, after the Bucharest Military Court previously sentenced Dabela to three years in prison.

U.S. Reintroduce 3% Rejection Rate Threshold For Visa Waiver

14:44, 01 Iul. 2009
The United States will reintroduce, as of July 1, a threshold of 3% from the current 10% for visa rejection rates allowing qualification in the Visa Waiver program, as the U.S. hasn’t implemented a system of monitoring exits on airports until June 30.

Romanian Govt , Unions To Discuss Increasing Salaries After July 20 – Union Leader

13:58, 01 Iul. 2009
Romanian union federation “Cartel Alfa” president Bogdan Hossu said Wednesday, after meeting with the prime minister, that talks will be held after July 20 on the possibility of increasing salaries this year according to the economic assessment of the first six months of 2009.

Romanian Woman Among Victims Of Train Blast In Italy – Press

12:42, 01 Iul. 2009
A Romanian woman is among the victims of the freight train explosion that occurred in Italy Monday night, according to Italian news website Affaritaliani.it, which published the provisional list of victims citing medical sources.

Romanian Govt Not Currently Planning To Hike Flat Tax, VAT -Fin Min

12:09, 01 Iul. 2009
The Romanian Government does not currently plan to hike the flat tax or the value added tax VAT, minister of Finance Gheorghe Pogea said Tuesday evening, saying he has not talked to fiscal advisors on this issue.

Romania To Cut No Of Govt Agencies To Half By Mid-July

12:03, 01 Iul. 2009
Romania will cut its number of government agencies to half by July 15, except for structures that have been created following negotiations with the European Union, of which Romania is a member,. Prime Minister Emil Boc said late Tuesday.

Romanian Youth&Sports Min Pledges To Resign If Allegations Proven

20:31, 30 Iun. 2009
Romanian Youth and Sports Minister, Monica Ridzi said on Tuesday that she will resign if prosecutors decide they have a case against her, following allegations of fund misappropriation.

Lowest Price No Longer Sole Criterion For Romanian Public Bids – Transp Min

19:46, 30 Iun. 2009
Romanian Transports Minister Radu Berceanu said Tuesday that the criteria according to which public work contracts are awarded in an auction will be changed, so that the price of the offer will have a weight of 40%, down from the 100% provided by current laws.

Romania Unable To Overpass Crisis On Its Own – Pres

19:20, 30 Iun. 2009
President Traian Basescu on Tuesday said Romania would not be able to exit the crisis by itself, but only along with other states, as the crisis is mainly generated by the low export capacity on affected markets.

Romanian Pres: Govt Must Proceed To CEC Bk Capitalization, Not Wait For EC

19:19, 30 Iun. 2009
Romanian Government must proceed to the capitalization of the state-owned lender CEC Bank and no longer wait for the opportunity decision of the European Commission’s bureaucrats, which is advancing too slowly, the country’s president Traian Basescu said Tuesday.

Romanian Privatization Auth Extends Again Avioane Craiova’s Offer Deadline

17:45, 30 Iun. 2009
Romania’s privatization authority AVAS decided Tuesday to extend again, with 30 more days, the validity of the offer for the sale of state-owned airplane maker Avioane Craiova (AVIO.RO), after the Government received a proposal to extend AVAS’s mandate expiring today.

Romania’s Petrom To Cut Gasoline Prices On Excise Drop, Biofuel Introduction

17:42, 30 Iun. 2009
Romania’s dominant oil company Petrom (SNP.RO) will decrease on Wednesday its gasoline pump prices by 0.06 lei (EUR1=RON4.2067) per liter, on the excise decrease and the introduction of the 4% biofuel-added gasoline, just a day after it enforced a RON0.07 price hike.

Romania’s Presence In Operation Theaters To Lower To 1,667 Troops After Iraq Pullout

17:00, 30 Iun. 2009
The number of Romanian troops in operation theaters abroad will be of 1,667 in 2010 following the pullout of troops from Iraq, Romanian President Traian Basescu said Tuesday after a meeting of the county’s Supreme Defense Council.

Romania, U.S. Co-Chair NATO’s DGP Group On Proliferation

16:09, 30 Iun. 2009
Romania and the U.S. will share the presidency of NATO’s Senior Defense Group on Proliferation (DGP) for one year, between July 1 2009 and June 30 2010, the Romanian Defense Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

Former Romanian MPs Set Up NGO To Defend Their Rights And Explain Parliament’s Role

15:05, 30 Iun. 2009
Nine former Romanian MPs have set up a society, called the Association of Former Members of Parliament, which is to contribute to the Constitution’s revision, advise new MPs, watch over the separation of state powers and defend the rights of former MPs.

Romanian Senate Delays Vote On Pension, Wage Amassment Law

13:44, 30 Iun. 2009
Romania's Senate on Tuesday decided to return to the Labor Committee the draft law regulating pensions and salary amassment in the public sector, delaying the vote until the fall.

Romanian Ctrl Bk Cuts Key Rate To 9%, Lowers Reserve Ratios

13:11, 30 Iun. 2009
The Board of Romania's central bank decided Tuesday to cut the key monetary policy rate by 0.5 percentage points to 9%, starting with July 1, and to lower the minimum reserve requirements ratios on both Romanian leu- and foreign currency-denominated liabilities.

Romanian Transp Min Appoints New GM At Civil Aviation Auth, Voices 25% Wage Cut

13:07, 30 Iun. 2009
Romania’s transport minister Radu Berceanu on Tuesday said he dismissed the general manager of the Romanian Civil Aviation Authority (AAC), Adrian Vasilache, and appointed Claudia Varlan to this position.

Romanian Transport Minister Replaces Manager Of Railway Co

13:07, 30 Iun. 2009
Romanian transport minister Radu Berceanu sacked the manager of Romania’s railroad company CFR SA, Viorel Scurtu, and replaced him with Ion Garoseanu, vice-president of the Romanian Railway Group, people close to the matter said Tuesday.

Romanians Willing To Work Abroad Obliged To Entrust Children To Relatives – Senate

12:39, 30 Iun. 2009
Romanians willing to find a job abroad are obliged to entrust their children, who remain in the country, to a family member, or they will be fined 2,500 lei (EUR1=RON4.2175) up to RON10,000, according to a legislative initiative tacitly adopted by the Romanian Senate.

Vaya con Dios Returns To Romania In October

12:13, 30 Iun. 2009
Vaya con Dios, the band famous for songs like “Puerto Rico” and “Don’t cry for Louie”, will return to Romania for a concert on October 13 in Bucharest, organizers Events said Tuesday.

Romania To Issue Electronic Identity Cards As Of Feb 1, 2011

11:31, 30 Iun. 2009
Romania’s National Inspectorate for Population Registration (INEP) on Tuesday said electronic identity cards would be issued as of February 1, 2011, according to a legislative amendment published Monday in the Official Journal of Romania.

Doru Tulus Reinstated Head of Division Within Romania’s Anticorruption Dept

09:11, 30 Iun. 2009
Romanian President Traian Basescu on Monday signed the decree reinstating prosecutor Doru Tulus as head of Division II with the National Anticorruption Department (DNA), after the High Council of Magistrates (CSM) previously approved the proposal in this respect of justice minister Catalin Predoiu.

Over 50 Romanian Pupils Exposed To British Pupils Infected With A-H1N1 Virus

21:15, 29 Iun. 2009
Vasile Guzganu, principal of the Romanian “Ioan Holban” high school in Iasi, eastern Romania, on Monday told the press that 53 Romanian pupils were exposed to the two British pupils diagnosed with the A-H1N1 virus, adding they are monitored by the local Public Health Department.

Romanian Beer Law Sent Back To Chamber Budget Committee

20:07, 29 Iun. 2009
The Romanian Chamber of Deputies on Monday decided, at the proposal of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), to send the beer law, which stipulates facilities for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the field, back to the Chamber's budget-finance committee.

Romanian Parliament Committee Continues Inquiry Against Youth Min – Official

18:51, 29 Iun. 2009
The Parliament committee investigating Romania’s youth and sports minister Monica Iacob Ridzi will continue its activity and the legal committee with the Chamber of Deputies will analyze the liberals’ request on the start of prosecution against Ridzi, Chamber secretary Dumitru Pardau said Monday.

Romania Confirms Two More AH1N1 Flu Cases, Toll Reaches 27

15:51, 29 Iun. 2009
Romania’s Cantacuzino Institute confirmed Monday two more cases of infection with the H1N1 virus, in two teenagers who arrived in Iasi, eastern Romania, from the U.K., on June 23, the Health Ministry said.

Total Costs In „First Home” Program, 42%-49% Lower Than Mortgage Loans – Romanian Fin Min

15:51, 29 Iun. 2009
Romania's Finance Minister Gheorghe Pogea on Monday said some offers of the 20 banks for the “First Home” program were below the limit imposed by the government, thus the total costs will be 42%-49% lower than for mortgage loans.

Romanian Health System Union Sanitas Threatens To Picket Ministry HQ, Citing Insufficient Salaries

15:46, 29 Iun. 2009
Romanian health system employees threaten to picket the Health Ministry’s headquarters on July 14, unhappy with the fact that wages in the system will not be covered until the end of the year, Sanitas union federation vice-president Adrian Barea told MEDIAFAX on Monday.

Romanian Prosecutor General Asks President To Order Investigation Of Former Privatization Minister

15:31, 29 Iun. 2009
Romanian prosecutor general Codruta Kovesi asked President Traian Basescu on Monday to order the criminal investigation of Ovidiu Musetescu, former privatization minister and former president of privatization authority APAPS, in the file on the privatization of Alro Slatina and Alprom SA.

Romanian Ctrl Bk: Lenders May Be Indirectly Affected By Cos’ Foreign Curr Loans Inked Abroad

14:31, 29 Iun. 2009
Banks operating in Romania might be indirectly affected by the foreign currency loans contracted by large companies directly from abroad, according to the 2009 Financial Stability Report published Monday by the National Bank of Romania BNR.

Romania’s Fincl Sector Able To Deal With Moderate Shocks – Ctrl Bk

14:28, 29 Iun. 2009
Romania’s financial system has proven able to absorb shocks of a relative moderate intensity and persistence during the economic crisis, as the risks were reduced due to the low external exposure, the central bank said Monday in its 2009 Financial Stability Report.