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Romanian Econ Min: Termoelectrica Will Be Liquidated

16:03, 25 Mai 2010
Romania’s Economy Ministry will comply with the International Monetary Fund’s requests, so that the viable units of state-run power producer Termoelectrica will be separated from the parent-company that will enter liquidation procedures, minister Adriean Videanu said Tuesday.

Prince Charles Cancels Visit To Romania Citing Health Reasons

15:27, 25 Mai 2010
Prince Charles of Wales has cancelled his planned visit to Romania scheduled for later this week, as well as planned meetings with President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Emil Boc, citing health reasons, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX.

Over 3,200 Romanian Children Went Missing In The Past Year

15:02, 25 Mai 2010
Over 3,200 Romanian children disappeared in the past year, ten times more compared to the 2003 and 2004 interval when 300 children were reported missing, Adrian Dumitrescu, chief of the Romanian police investigation department, said Tuesday.

Romanian Environment Ministry Could Axe 1,000 Jobs By Yearend

13:52, 25 Mai 2010
Romania’s Environment Ministry could slash one thousand jobs by the end of the year in the institution and subordinated bodies, such as the national forests administration and water administration, minister Laszlo Borbely said Tuesday.

Pensions Below RON1,000 Won’t Be Reduced By 15%– Romanian Labor Minister

13:40, 25 Mai 2010
Romania’s Labor Minister Mihai Seitan told pensioners who protested Tuesday at the ministry’s headquarters, that pensions below 1,000 lei (EUR1=RON4.1838) will not be reduced by 15%, adding he will uphold the measure during Wednesday’s Government meeting.

Romania To Issue First Mandatory Home Insurance Policies In July Or August 2010

13:25, 25 Mai 2010
Romania’s first mandatory home insurance policies will be issued in July or August, at the latest, after PAID, the company issuing mandatory home insurance policies, concludes the reinsurance contract with reinsurance brokers, PAID general manager Marius Bulugea said Tuesday.

IMF Says Other Measures To Trim Romania Deficit Backed As Well

12:42, 25 Mai 2010
The International Monetary Fund would have supported other options of cutting the budget deficit, if the Romanian authorities had chosen another one, but the Government had the final say, according to Jeffrey Franks, the head of the IMF mission in Romania.

Romania Development Min Asks Govt To Disband Natl Investment Co In Rational Spending Bid

12:21, 25 Mai 2010
Romanian Development and Tourism Minister Elena Udrea on Tuesday said she would call on the Government to disband the National Investment Company CNI, in a bid to wipe out any suspicion of reckless public spending.

Romanian Development Ministry Cut Spending 37%, Savings To Fund Road Building

12:01, 25 Mai 2010
Romanian Development and Tourism Minister Elena Udrea told lawmakers Tuesday the ministry cut spending by 37% on goods and services even before the Government decided to tighten expenses, adding the saved money would go to road building and rehabilitation projects.

U.S. Raises Non-Immigrant Visa Fees As Of June 4

12:00, 25 Mai 2010
The United States has decided to raise non-immigrant visa application processing fees as of June 4, based on a tiered structure, the U.S. embassy in Bucharest said in a press release Tuesday.

IMF Mission Head Confident Romania Will Apply Cut Measures

11:49, 25 Mai 2010
Both Romanian president Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Emil Boc look so determined to cut public spending, so Romania should manage to implement austerity measures, said Jeffrey Franks, head of the International Monetary Fund mission in Romania.

Romanian Sailor Abducted by Somali Pirates In Alleged Danger To Be Killed

09:28, 25 Mai 2010
The Romanian sailor aboard the ship Rim, which was seized by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, on February 2, told his girlfriend that the pirates are threatening to kill him Tuesday if they are not paid a $400,000 ransom.

Bucharest Public Transport Unionists To Announce Decision Regarding Strike Thursday – Union Leader

19:29, 24 Mai 2010
Bucharest public transport authority RATB unionists will take a decision regarding the strike Thursday, after the Government establishes the austerity plan, union leader Vasile Petrariu said Monday.

Two Romanian Employers’ Confederations Withdraw Support Of Letter Of Intent To IMF

17:30, 24 Mai 2010
Romanian employers’ confederations UGIR-1903 and CONPIROM decided Monday to no longer support the Government’s letter of intent to the IMF and to abstain in the Economic and Social Committee vote Tuesday, stating that employers should not decide in the matter of pension and public sector wage cuts.

Romanian Public Administration Unionists Mull Pushback Of May 31 Strike – Union Leader

15:23, 24 Mai 2010
Romania’s public administration unionists might not join the May 31 strike, as they might cease work but on the day the no-confidence motion is debated or the day the Government seeks a confidence vote in Parliament, “Sed Lex” union alliance leader Vasile Marica said Monday

Prince Charles To Return To Romania For Talks With President, PM

13:50, 24 Mai 2010
Prince Charles of Wales will return to Romania this week for meetings with President Traian Basescu and Prime Minister Emil Boc and he will then visit several villages in Transylvania, including his property in Viscri, Brasov County, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Monday.

Sol Melia Hotel Group Eyes Romanian Coast, Bucharest Market

17:49, 23 Mai 2010
Spanish group Sol Melia, Europe’s third largest hotel chain, has plans to enter the Romanian market in the near future by opening four- and five-star hotels on the Black Sea coast and in Bucharest, its general manager for Bulgaria, Jose Manuel Navarro, said Saturday.

Around 300 People Marched In Bucharest Gay Pride Parade

19:30, 22 Mai 2010
Around 300 people took part Saturday in the GayFest parade, organized by LGBT rights group ACCEPT in Romanian capital Bucharest.

Anti-Gay “March For Normalcy” Held By Far-Right Group In Romanian Capital

17:16, 22 Mai 2010
Around 150 people took part Saturday in a “march for normalcy,” organized by Romanian far-right organization Noua Dreapta in protest to the annual gay pride parade GayFest, scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. local time in Bucharest.

Romanian Football Financer Penescu Released Under Judicial Control

13:45, 22 Mai 2010
Romanian FC Arges sponsor Cornel Penescu will be released under judicial control, as the Pitesti Court of Appeals rejected Saturday the appeal made by anticorruption prosecutors against the same ruling made by the Arges County Court.

IMF Recommendations Focused On Increasing Romania’s Budget Revenue

13:34, 22 Mai 2010
In talks with Romanian authorities, the International Monetary Fund focused on increasing budget revenue by hiking the VAT and flat tax, as well as introducing progressive taxation, but certain difficult expense cuts would have been included in any scenario, says a Fund press release.

Romanian PM Says Restoring Salaries, Pensions In 2011 Will Require Public Sector Restructuring

18:57, 21 Mai 2010
Romania’s Government stands by its decision to curb the budget deficit through expenditure cuts, while increasing salaries and pensions in 2011 will require restructuring in the public sector and economic recovery, Prime Minister Emil Boc said on Friday.

Romanian Airline Tarom Unionists To Strike On May 31

18:56, 21 Mai 2010
Employees of Romanian state-owned airline Tarom threatened to join the full-blown public sector strike on May 31 out of solidarity, but will maintain one third of the company’s operations active, Tarom union secretary general Aurel Curdov told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Bucharest Public Transport Unionists To Strike On May 31

18:27, 21 Mai 2010
Bucharest public transport authority RATB unionists will go on strike on May 31, in solidarity with other public servants, and threaten to halt activity indefinitely if the Government chooses to lower their salaries.

Romanian Ctrl Bker: Wage Cuts, The Lesser Of Two Evils

16:05, 21 Mai 2010
Romania’s worst case scenario would be to fail at cutting pensions and wages, seen as the lesser of two evils, and to need an increase in the value added tax level, an adviser to the local central bank’s governor said Friday.

Romanian Opposition Social Democrats Say Head Of State Responsible For Austerity Plan

14:42, 21 Mai 2010
Romania’s opposition Social Democratic Party head Victor Ponta on Friday said his party has nothing to say to the Government run by Prime Minister Emil Boc, stressing that the recently announced spending cut measures were not taken by the Government, but by President Traian Basescu.

Romanian Transporters To Go On Strike On May 31

14:07, 21 Mai 2010
Romanian transportation unionists will go on full-blown strike on May 31 and cancel all local and national shuttle services for the day, representatives of the Romanian federation of transport operators, or FORT, said Friday.

Romanian PM Says Special Pensions Will Be Cut Like Any Other Pension

14:04, 21 Mai 2010
Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Friday that pensions provided by special laws will not be an exception to the Government’s plan to slash public spending and will be cut along with the other social pensions.

Romanian Senator, Former Judge, Businessmen Indicted On Corruption Charges

13:28, 21 Mai 2010
Romanian social democrat senator Catalin Voicu, former judge Florin Costiniu and businessmen Costel Casuneanu and Marius Locic were indicted by anticorruption prosecutors on charges of influence peddling and fraud.

Romanian Referees, Football Financer, Businessman Indicted For Corruption

13:26, 21 Mai 2010
The sponsor of Romanian football team FC Arges, Cornel Penescu, the former general manager of SC PIC SA Pitesti, Liviu Facaleata, former referee Ionica Serea and football referee Marius Martis were indicted by anticorruption prosecutors on bribe-related charges.

Romanian PM Meets Employers Friday For Talks On IMF Letter Of Intent

11:08, 21 Mai 2010
Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc meets Friday with employers’ representatives for talks on Romania's letter of intent with the International Monetary Fund, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Railway Unionists Threaten To Halt All Trains Starting May 31

19:18, 20 Mai 2010
Employees of Romania’s state-owned railway transport company CFR will halt all trains as of May 31 and this action may be joined by employees of subway company Metrorex and of local public transport authorities.

Romanian Unionists To Lobby Against Adoption Of IMF Letter In Parliament

18:36, 20 Mai 2010
Romanian Cartel Alfa union federation leader Bogdan Hossu said Thursday, after talks at the Finance Ministry, that there is no hope of the cost-cutting measures included in the letter of intent with the IMF will be altered, adding unionists will lobby against the letter’s adoption in Parliament.

Romania PM Says Govt, Unions Fail To Reach Common Ground, Talks Will Continue

18:06, 20 Mai 2010
Officials of Romanian Finance and Labor Ministries will continue talks with unionists until next Wednesday when the Government is set to approve Romania's letter of intent with the International Monetary Fund, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Thursday at the end of talks with unionists.

Romanian Transports Ministry Needs RON3.16B For Transylvania Hwy

17:57, 20 Mai 2010
Romania’s Transports Ministry needs 3.16 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.1998) this year to continue work on the Transylvania Highway, but has only received RON700 million from the state budget and its debts to U.S. constructor Bechtel amounted to RON900 million in late-2009.

Romanian Liberals Set To Uphold Any Upcoming No-Confidence Motions

17:39, 20 Mai 2010
Romania’s opposition Liberal Party PNL will vote in favor of the social democrats’ planned no-confidence motion, regardless of whether or not it will take part in drafting the motion, and it will also uphold any upcoming motions, liberal Ludovic Orban said Thursday.

Romanian Parents To Picket Government HQ Wednesday, Parliament HQ on June 1

17:26, 20 Mai 2010
Romanian parents will picket the Government headquarters on May 26 and will stage protests in Iasi and Brasov displeased with the Executive’s plan to cut child-rearing and other social benefits granted to children, protesters’ representatives said in a press release Thursday.

Romania PM: Govt Can Either Pay Reduced Wages, Pensions Or Stop Paying Them As of Dec

15:58, 20 Mai 2010
Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Thursday, before a meeting with unionists for talks on the recently announced spending cut measures, that the Government has two alternatives, namely, either to pay reduced salaries and pensions or no longer pay them as of December 2010.

Romanian Govt Mulls Cutting 1,100 Jobs In Healthcare As Of August

15:46, 20 Mai 2010
Romania’s’ Government is considering cutting around 1,100 jobs out of some 7,870 jobs in public healthcare units under the authority of the Ministry of Health, as of August 1, according to a government document obtained by MEDIAFAX.

Romania Sets EUR100 Excise Tax On Fermented Drinks, EUR165 Tax On Intermediary Drinks

15:43, 20 Mai 2010
The Romanian Government decided to introduce an excise tax of EUR100/hectoliter per product for fermented drinks, other than beer and wine, such as cider and fruit-based fermented drinks.