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Romania Has Funds For Infrastructure But Deadlines Are Unobserved – Official

Romania has the necessary funds to develop infrastructure, but deadlines for works are not observed, state secretary in the Transport Ministry, Septimiu Buzasu, said Thursday.

Romania, 10 States In C, E Europe May Be Vulnerable To A Hard Landing- Moody’s

Rating agency Moody's Investors Service included Romania, alongside other ten states in the Emerging Europe, among countries whose sovereign rating might be vulnerable to a rapid and difficult economic adjustment, according to a report published Thursday.

French Carmaker Citroen To Launch New Berlingo In Romania In June

French carmaker Citroen will launch its new Berlingo in Romania, in the second half of June, the company’s officials said Wednesday.

Oil Cos Cause Problems, Not The Fiscal Policy – Romanian Econ Fin Min

A decrease in excises and taxes for car fuels does not guarantee price decreases, in Romania the problem comes from the behavior of companies, not from the state’s fiscal policy, said economy and finance minister Varujan Vosganian.

Romanian Govt Asks For Ban On Alcohol Nearby Polling Stations

Victor Paul Dobre, state secretary with Romania’s Interior Ministry asked prefects to ban the consumption of alcoholic drinks within a radius of 500 meters of polling stations, according to a decision of the Central Electoral Office.

Bucharest Apartment Prices Saw First Decrease In Feb ‘08

Apartment prices in Romania’s capital city Bucharest have increased three times since January 1, 2005, but lowered this year in February, for the first time, according to the real estate index computed by global real estate services company Colliers International.

Romanian Supreme Court Decides Retrial For „Cocaine For VIPs” Case

Romania’s Supreme court decided Wednesday to send back to the Court of Appeals for a retrial the file “Cocaine for VIPs”, which involves Ion Alexandru Tiriac, son of businessman Ion Tiriac, who had been cleared of all charges in February.

Only 1-2% Of Romanian Small, Micro Firms Take Bank Loans

Only 1-2% of Romania’s 550,000 small firms and micro-enterprises took loans to fund their activity and the banking system is not ready to take the risk of such business, according to officials of the national guarantee fund for small and medium sized companies, or SMEs.

Romanian SMEs To Access EU Funds For Expansion Abroad

Romania’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will have access to EU funds, as of late June, allowing them to extend business operations abroad and meet high quality and environment standards, officials of Romania’s Ministry for SMEs said Wednesday.

Nokia Made 1 Million Phones In Romanian Plant

Finnish giant Nokia has made one million mobiles in its plant in Jucu, in the northwestern Romanian county of Cluj, three months into production, the company said Wednesday.

Minority Discrimination, Authority Abuse Rise Concerns In Romania – AI Report

Discrimination of Roma and sexual minorities, police abuse and the worrisome situation of people committed to psychiatric institutions continue to raise red flags in Romania, Amnesty International said Wednesday in its annual report on human rights across the globe.

CME Acquires Leading Blog Site In Czech Republic

Central European Media Enterprises Ltd. (CME) acquired 100% of Jyxo, the IT provider and operator of the leading blog site in the Czech Republic, blog.cz, and Jyxo's affiliate BLOG Internet, from Michal Illich and Centralway Investment AG.

One Dead In Apartment Building Fire In Bucharest

One woman died and thirteen other people were treated for smoke inhalation after a fire at an apartment building in Romania’s capital city Bucharest on Tuesday night.

Military Members In 14 Countries, Including Romania, Become U.S. Citizens

Thirty military members from 14 countries, including Romania, took the oath of citizenship and officially became U.S. citizens in a ceremony at the Pritzker Military Library in Chicago.

Romania’s Econ Outlook Seen Positive During May-Jul – INS

Romanian managers said that they are positive about the four major sectors of the Romanian economy, namely the industrial, service, construction and retail sectors, between May and July, the National Institute for Statistics, or INS, said Wednesday.

Romania’s Rompetrol Ups Pump Prices By RON0.04/Liter

Romania’s second-largest oil company Rompetrol Group NV hiked its fuel pump prices by 0.04 lei (EUR1= RON3.6731) per liter between May 23 and May 25, the tariffs remaining unchanged at least until June 1, the company said Tuesday.

Romanian Insurance Agent Cons 120 People

An insurance agent from Romanian company Allianz-Tiriac conned 120 people, promising them unreal yields for the sums deposited, the damage being estimated at some EUR3 million, said the spokesperson for the Bucharest Police Department, Christian Ciocan.

Lonely Planet Travel Guide Warns Tourists About Romanian Pick Pocketers

Tourists who visit Romania have several things to worry about, such as pick-pocketers, cab drivers who refuse to turn on their taximeters, overcharged restaurant bills or reckless drivers, Lonely Planet said in its country travel guide Tuesday.

Romanian Hotels Below Quality Standards – Official

The bulk (70%) of Romania’s accommodation facilities is below quality standards, secretary of state Lucia Morariu said Tuesday.

Some 300 Rroma People Assaulted Italian Police

Four police officers of the mobile team in the Italian town Catanzaro, in the Calabria region, were attacked by some 300 ethnic Rroma when they tried to arrest one of them, Italian news agency Apcom reported.

Mobile Ops In Romania Say Telecom License Fees Should Be Set In Auctions

License fees for the use of the radio frequency spectrum should be set in auctions and the Romanian authorities’ decision to set a fixed fee is not in accord with practices in other European states, mobile operators said Tuesday.

Two Injured By Falling Plaster From Building In Eastern Romania

Two youngsters lounging on a restaurant terrace were injured Tuesday when a piece of plaster fell off the exterior of the Students House in Iasi, eastern Romania.

Romania To Host First 3D Cinemas In Europe

British company The Light opens this fall the first digital cinemas in Europe, in Romania’s capital city Bucharest and western city Oradea, with seven and eight cinema halls respectively, with capacities of up to 1,500 seats.

Bk Salaries See Faster Growth Than Productivity – Piraeus Bk Off

The salaries in banking sector grew faster than productivity, on the backdrop of job market competition, Piraeus Bank general manager, Catalin Parvu, said Tuesday during a seminar on banking issues.

Romanian Household Lending Growth Seen Slowing In 2 Yrs

Romania’s fast-growing household lending will continue to rise over the next two years, but at a slower pace due to tighter bank lending rules, Radu Ghetea, president of the Romanian bankers' association, said Tuesday.

Phishing Operations, Likely From Romania, Target USA Child Support Cash

A phishing operation, probably originating in Romania, targeted users of bank cards the authorities in Pennsylvania use to disburse child support payments and unemployment compensation benefits.

Nearly Half The Employees Of Romanian Porcelain Mkr ARPO On Strike

Some two hundred employees of porcelain maker ARPO in Curtea de Arges, southern Romania, refused to start work Tuesday morning and protest in the company yard discontent with salaries and working conditions.

Romanian Pres Recalls Ambassador To Warsaw

Romanian president Traian Basescu signed the decree recalling the Romanian Ambassador to Warsaw, Gabriel Constantin Bartas, after saying, in May, that Bartas did not inform him on the Crulic case, which is why he would demand his recall.

Romanian Pupils Are Not Obligated To Fund Classroom Upgrades

Romanian parents are not obligated to contribute money to the maintenance and upgrade of the material base of the classroom. The Bucharest School Inspectorate sent a memo to schools saying that this contribution is exclusively collected and managed by the parents committee.

Marriott, Best Western, Ramada And Starwood Mull Expanding Ops In Romania

International hotel chains Marriott, Best Western, Ramada Plaza and Starwood plan to expand their operations in Romania, officials of the hotel operators said Monday.

Bucharest Underworld Heads Generally Wanted In Drug Dealing Case

Two heads of the Bucharest underworld were placed on the generally wanted list for evading prosecution, after border police and organized crime prosecutors have clear evidence they are involved in an international drug dealing case.

Romania’s Romgaz Mulls Investing RON32M In Gas Wells Upgrade

Romgaz Medias, one of Romania’s largest gas producers, will invest 32 million lei (EUR1=RON3.6698), VAT excluded, in the upgrade of ten natural gas wells, the company said Monday.

Romania’s CFR To Sell Lands In Cap City For At Least EUR31M

Romania’s state-owned railway company CFR will auction Tuesday four lands of some two hectares total surface in the capital city Bucharest, for at least EUR31 million, the Ministry of Transportations said.

Dacia Sandero Launched In Romania June 3

Automobile Dacia SA, the Romanian unit of French carmaker Renault (13190.FR), will launch its new five-door hatch Sandero on June 3, and the first Romanian customers will be able to drive the new model by the end of the same month, company officials said Monday.

Romania 1Q Real Estate Deals Dn 68% To EUR119M

Real estate transactions in Romania dropped 68% to EUR119 million in the first quarter, mirroring a downward trend of the European commercial properties market, realtor Cushman & Wakefield said in a report Monday.

Some EU States Pressure EC On Romania Report – Commissioner

European Commissioner Leonard Orban told a news conference Monday that although some Parliaments of member states are pressuring the European Commission on its Report on Romania, this is not reason for concern.

Romania’s CFR Calatori To Buy RON855M Railcars In 3 Yrs

Romania’s state-owned passenger railway company CFR Calatori plans to buy 200 railcars worth 855.482 million lei (EUR1=RON3.6698) in the next three years, the company said Monday.

Romanian Ctrl Bkr Urges Politicians To Pledge For 2014 Euro Adoption

Romania’s central bank governor Mugur Isarescu Monday urged Romanian politicians to commit now to the country’s euro-zone entry timetable to make euro adoption possible in 2014 as planned.

Romanian Director Marian Crisan Bags Short Film Palme d’Or

After Romanian director Cristian Mungiu won the prestigious Palme d'Or for his “4,3,2” feature film last year, this year’s Cannes Festival brought the award to Romanian director Marian Crisan for the short film "Megatron".

Two Dead In Blast At Chemical Plant, C Romania

Two people died in the blast that occurred Monday morning at the crematory within the chemical plant in Victoria, Brasov County, central Romania.