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Romania’s Paula Seling, Ovi Qualify For 2010 Eurovision Song Contest Final

09:44, 28 Mai 2010
Romania’s contending duo for the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest Paula Seling and Ovi qualified for the competition final, set to take place Saturday, after the first semi-final held Thursday night at the Telenor Arena in Oslo, Norway.

Over 10,000 Ambulance Workers Join Romanian Public Sector Strike Monday

09:33, 28 Mai 2010
Over 10,000 workers of Romania’s ambulance services will go on full-blown strike indefinitely as of Monday, along with teachers and public administration workers in protest to the Government’s austere spending cut plan which lowers wages and pensions.

Romania To Keep IT Income Tax Exemption – Finance Ministry

19:03, 27 Mai 2010
Romanian IT developers will continue to enjoy income tax exemption, and the Government’s letter of intent to the IMF and memorandum of understanding with the EU make no mention of eliminating this advantage, says a Finance Ministry press release issued Thursday.

Romania’s High-School Graduation Exam To Be Attended By 77% Of Teachers – Education Min

18:34, 27 Mai 2010
Romania’s Education Minister Daniel Funeriu said Thursday that the written foreign language high-school graduation exam, scheduled to take place between May 31 and June 4 will go ahead as planned, since 77% of teachers will not go on strike.

Romania To Guarantee Homeowner Loans For Thermal Rehabilitation

17:07, 27 Mai 2010
Loans contracted by homeowners or homeowners’ associations to thermally rehabilitate apartment buildings will be guaranteed by the state via the guarantee fund for small and medium-sized enterprises, according to a draft law drawn up by the Romanian Regional Development and Tourism Ministry.

Romanian Railway Workers Won’t Halt Trains Monday But Might Go On Solidarity Strike

16:47, 27 Mai 2010
Employees of Romania’s state-owned railway company won’t go on strike Monday, as they initially announced, because the Government’s austerity plan doesn’t mention wage cuts for them, but they might decide to go on strike out of solidarity with other public sector workers.

Romania Fin Min Says Revival Nowhere In Sight

14:41, 27 Mai 2010
Romanian Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu on Thursday expressed concerns that the recession might not loosen its grip over the country anytime soon, in spite of austerity measures aimed at jump-start revival.

EC Adopts Revised Competition Rules For Vehicle Distribution And Repair

14:28, 27 Mai 2010
The European Commission has adopted new competition rules for agreements between vehicle manufacturers and authorized dealers, which forbid producers from demanding that their vehicles are only serviced in authorized garages, the EC said in a press release.

Romania To Limit 2011 Budget Expenses To Level Resulted After 2010 Spending Cuts

13:56, 27 Mai 2010
Romania will apply salary and pension cut measures until the and on the year and starting January 1, 2011 the Government will implement social and staff policies meant to keep budget expenses within the limits resulted after applying this year’s cost-cutting measures.

Romania Scraps Free Public Transport For Revolutionaries, Descendants Of Martyr Heroes

13:05, 27 Mai 2010
Romanian revolutionaries of December 1989 and descendants of the country’s martyr heroes will no longer get free public road and rail transportation, trousseaus for newborns will be eliminated, along with severance payments for laid off workers.

Romanian Ctrl Bk, Securities Commission, Pension Regulator Employees Also Affected By Wage Cut Plan

12:47, 27 Mai 2010
The 25% salary slash included in the Romanian Government's spending cut plan will also affect the employees of the country’s central bank, the National Securities Commission, private pension fund regulator CSSPP and insurance regulator CSA.

Romania Needs To Correlate Sector Strategies – Econ Min

11:52, 27 Mai 2010
Romania's energy strategy needs to be correlated with the industrial and the chemical ones, otherwise the economic growth is out of the question, Economy Ministry official Tudor Serban said Thursday.

Romanian Coal Prices To Rise With Investments – Official

11:44, 27 Mai 2010
Investment in Romanian coal-based energy production will lead to a higher price for coal, but the sector still needs to be restructured, Economy Ministry secretary of state Tudor Serban said Thursday.

Romania Won’t Raise Taxation, But Enlarge Tax Pool – Econ Min

11:24, 27 Mai 2010
Romania’s government won’t increase taxation, but will enlarge the tax base, as some economic sectors are currently untaxed, Economy Minister Adriean Videanu said Thursday.

Romanian Indicted Mayor Announces Plan To Resign From Office, Quit Party Leadership

11:13, 27 Mai 2010
The suspended mayor of Romania’s southern city of Craiova, Antonie Solomon, indicted on charges of corruption and intellectual forgery, Thursday announced his intention to resign from the position of mayor and leader of the Democratic Liberal Party branch in Craiova.

Romania To Keep Subsidizing Coal Mining After ’10 – Official

10:56, 27 Mai 2010
Romania will continue to subsidize bituminous coal production after 2010 as well, even if the International Monetary Fund disagrees, Economy Ministry secretary of state Tudor Serban said Thursday.

Romania To Introduce Unitary Contributions For Copyright, Civil Convention Income – Labor Min

09:34, 27 Mai 2010
Romania will draw up a special law to regulate copyright, civil conventions and aspects regarding authorized individuals, and will set unitary social contributions for income generated by these activities, Labor Minister Mihai Seitan said at the end of Wednesday’s Government meeting.

Romania’s Lower Chamber Defense Committee Wants To Maintain Current Legislation On Military Pensions

19:35, 26 Mai 2010
Romania’s Chamber of Deputies defense committee approved the pension bill Wednesday, including one amendment which maintains the provisions of current legislation for the defense, public order and national security system.

Over 350,000 Romanian Children Have Parents Working Abroad – Italian NGO

18:37, 26 Mai 2010
According to an Italian organization citing UNICEF data, over 350,000 Romanian children are being brought up without one or both of their parents, as the latter work abroad, says the website of news agency APcom.

Romanian Actor Jean Constantin Dies At 81

17:19, 26 Mai 2010
Romanian actor Jean Constantin, 81, died Wednesday in his home in Constanta, southeastern Romania, Alexandru Arsinel, manager of the Bucharest “Constantin Tanase” Theater, told MEDIAFAX.

Over 400,000 Education, Public Administration Employees Go On Strike Indefinitely On Monday

16:30, 26 Mai 2010
Over 400,000 Romanian employees in the education and the public administration sectors will go on full-blown strike indefinitely starting Monday over the Government’s austerity plan, and several other public sector unions announced they will join protests.

Austerity Measures To Be Applied Until Yearend – Romanian PM

15:50, 26 Mai 2010
Romania’s draft law regulating cost cuts in the public sector, for which the Government will seek a confidence vote in Parliament, will specify that austerity measures will be applied until December 31, 2010.

Romania Ctrl Bank Head Says Tax Increase Possible In The Future

15:45, 26 Mai 2010
Romania may resort to tax increases in the coming years, but such a measure requires an extended general taxation pool and no tax exemptions, central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Wednesday.

Romania’s Govt To Seek Parl Confidence Vote For Pension, Wage Cut Laws

15:25, 26 Mai 2010
Romania’s Government will seek a confidence vote in Parliament for two draft laws, one concerning budget expenditure cuts, and the other regulating the new contribution-based pension system and reevaluating disability pensions, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Wednesday.

Romania Can’t Monetize Its Public Debt – Ctrl Bank Chief

15:23, 26 Mai 2010
Romanian central bank isn’t able to follow the example of the United States and monetize the public debt, central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Wednesday, warning that a high banking exposure may endanger budget deficit financing.

Romanian Unionists Announce Strike For May 31, Public Demonstrations As Of June 1

15:22, 26 Mai 2010
Romanian union federations have decided to go on strike indefinitely as of May 31, as well as hold rallies on June 1-4 and form a human chain around the Palace of Parliament, in protest to the Government’s austerity plan.

Romanian Court Sentences Syrian Terrorism Convict Hayssam To 16 Yr Jail Term For Embezzlement

15:22, 26 Mai 2010
Syrian terrorism convict Omar Hayssam and associates Quasin Esse and Mohamad Omar were sentenced Tuesday by the Court of Bucharest to 16 and 14 years in prison, respectively, for embezzling several leasing companies in a case concerning forged export documentation for Volvo tractor heads.

Romania’s Govt Reduces Child-Rearing Benefits By 15%

15:06, 26 Mai 2010
Romania’s Government coalition leaders decided to reduce child-rearing benefits by 15% and the measure will be applied temporarily, until the country resumes economic growth, National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR) leader Marian Sarbu said Wednesday.

Romania Ctrl Bank Head: Tax System Hampered By Exemptions

14:52, 26 Mai 2010
Romania’s fiscal system is “shredded” because a long list of tax exemptions that eat away at the budget revenue, central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Wednesday.

Romanian Penitentiary Unionists To Strike Over Austerity Measures Starting May 31

11:53, 26 Mai 2010
The Romanian National Penitentiary Workers’ Union (SNLP) and the National Penitentiary Administration Union Federation (FSANP) announced Wednesday that employees in the sector will go on strike starting May 31 to protest wage, pension and social benefit cuts.

Lending Won’t Be Main Driver Of Romania’s Growth In Long Run – Raiffeisen

11:30, 26 Mai 2010
Romania's economic growth will be higher than European Union’s average on long-term, due to the convergence process, but the economy will no longer be sustained by loans, as before, Raiffeisen Bank Romania’s chief executive Steven van Groningen said Wednesday.

Romanian President Compels Transparency At Public Institutions’ Level, Issues Warnings

11:11, 26 Mai 2010
Romanian President Traian Basescu said Tuesday evening he asked Cabinet members to see that the salaries of employees within ministries, agencies and administrations are all made public, and warned that non-compliance translates into open conflict with him.

Romania’s Govt Coalition Discusses Letter Of Intent To IMF

11:10, 26 Mai 2010
Leaders of Romania’s centrist coalition of democrat liberals and the Hungarian minority party met Wednesday morning at the Government’s headquarters to discuss the country’s letter of intent to the International Monetary Fund, which the Government will adopt later in the day.

Romanian Govt Eyes Extra Revenues Of RON855M In 2010 By Levying New Taxes

11:09, 26 Mai 2010
The Romanian Government estimates to obtain extra revenues of 855 million lei (EUR1=RON4.1838) to the state budget in the second half of 2010, by introducing new taxes, which are seen generating RON1.76 billion in 2011, RON1.65 billion in 2012 and RON1.3 billion in 2013.

Romania Reduces Quota Of Deductible Expenses On Intellectual Property Income To 20%– Draft

11:06, 26 Mai 2010
The quota of deductible expenses for the net income obtained from intellectual property will be reduced to half, at 20% of the gross income, from the current 40%, according to a draft emergency decree amending the Fiscal Code.

Romanian Firefighter Dies While Fighting Fire At Commercial Center

10:49, 26 Mai 2010
A Romanian firefighter died Wednesday morning crushed under an iron framework during operations to put out a fire that burst at a commercial center at the outskirts of capital Bucharest.

Romania To Triple Property Tax For Owners Of More Than Three Properties

10:26, 26 Mai 2010
Romania will double property taxes for people who own one or two unrented residences besides their domicile, while taxes will nearly triple for owners of more than three homes, according to a draft emergency decree amending the Tax Code.

Romania’s Govt Mulls Cashing RON217M From Taxing Interests By Yearend

09:53, 26 Mai 2010
Romania’s Government plans to cash this year 217 million lei (EUR1=RON4.1838) from taxing interests by 16%, and RON145 million from applying the flat tax to stock market gains.

Dissatisfied Romanian Education Unionists To Boycott Graduation Exam

21:31, 25 Mai 2010
Romania’s education unionists decided Tuesday, after talks with Education Minister Daniel Funeriu, to go ahead with the May 31 strike, which will coincide with the written foreign language high school graduation exam, and called for an emergency meeting with Prime Minister Emil Boc.

Romania To Cut All Pensions By 15%, Social Pensions Included – Tourism Min

20:02, 25 Mai 2010
All Romanian pensions will take a 15% cut, although exemptions for social pensions worth 350 lei (EUR1=RON4.1838) did come up during talks with Romania’s President Traian Basescu, the Minister of Regional Development and Tourism Elena Udrea told MEDIAFAX Tuesday.