English

Romanian PM Invites Disgruntled Unionists To Talks On Wages, Pensions

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc came to talk to unionists protesting outside the government headquarters Friday and called on them to accept the pension reform, saying low pensions would not be reduced.

Romanian Billionaire Puiu Popoviciu Sells IKEA – Ziarul Financiar

Businessman Puiu Popoviciu has sold the IKEA operations in Romania to Swedish IKEA group for over EUR30 million deal, business newspaper Ziarul Financiar reported Friday citing market sources.

Romania Jan Trade Gap Narrows On Rising Exports, Imports

Romanian exports rose 19.8% on the year to EUR2.3 billion in January, while imports were up 4.4% to EUR2.7 billion, the National Statistics Institute said Friday.

EU Disburses EUR1B Loan Tranche To Romania

The European Commission on Thursday disbursed EUR1 billion to Romania as part of a larger EUR5 billion loan agreed last spring, following new reviews of the country’s economic performance.

Gabriel Resources Budgets Investments Worth EUR27M For Rosia Montana Proj In ‘10

Canadian company Gabriel Resources allotted a EUR27.3 million budget for the Rosia Montana project in 2010, a sum required for asset maintenance and the environment impact study.

Romania Is Eight Years Behind Bulgaria Regarding Tourism Development – TUI Official

Romania is about eight years behind Bulgaria regarding tourism development and attracting foreign investors, said the manager of German Group TUI for Morocco, Romania and Bulgaria, Detlev Hohne, quoted by Deutsche Welle.

Romania Sells EUR1B 5-Yr Eurobond At 5.17% Yield

Romania sold five-year euro-denominated bonds worth EUR1 billion at an annual yield of 5.17%, 268 basis points above the mid-swap rate, a Finance Ministry official said Thursday.

Gabriel Resources Says Romania’s Change Of Govt Improved Dialog On Gold Mining Proj

Canadian-based Gabriel Resources, which owns Rosia Montana Gold Corporation (RMGC) in Romania, said in its earnings report for 2009 that the country’s change in Government end last year has led to more active dialog with authorities and increased interest in the company’s gold mining project.

Romanian President Designated Scientists Academy Honorary Member

Romanian President Traian Basescu Thursday was designated honorary member of the Academy of Scientists in Romania (AOSR) by the institution’s General Assembly.

Romanian Control Institutions Can’t Check Cos More Often Than Once Every Two Years

Romanian specialized control institutions will be forbidden to verify the activity of firms more than once every two consecutive years unless they have firm grounds to do so, and will be fined between 1,500 lei (EUR1=RON4.0987) and RON2,000 if they infringe the law.

Romanian Pensioners To Picket Govt On March 26 Over Pension Law

Romanian pensioners said Thursday they will picket the Government and the country’s prefects' offices on March 26, displeased with the pension reform, the co-payment system for healthcare and the reduction in the number of treatment vouchers.

Romanian Government Set To Reduce Fiscal Red Tape For Companies

The Romanian Government will allow companies to pay the bulk of debts to the state budget, and not just the penalties connected to the debt, and will reduce the number of required monthly fiscal statements, said Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc.

Romanian Independent Lawmakers Ready Paperwork To Set Up New Party

The leader of the independent group of lawmakers in the Romanian Senate, Liviu Campanu, on Thursday said the papers needed to set up the new party called the National Union for the Progress of Romania (UNPR) will be sent to court next week, adding 8,000 signatures have already been collected.

Full Line-Up Of Sonisphere Festival Romanian Edition Announced

Rammstein, Metallica, Manowar, Slayer, Alice in Chains, Megadeth and Heaven & Hell are some of the bands that will play in Bucharest as part of Sonisphere Festival, which will make a stop in Romania’s capital between June 25 and 27.

Romanian Energy Watchdog’s Policy Is To Keep Gas Price Unchanged This Year – PM

The policy of Romania’s energy regulatory authority ANRE is to keep gas prices unchanged for the whole year, and the government did not receive so far any information saying otherwise, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Thursday.

Romania’s SMEs Guarantee Fund Mulls Granting RON1.8B Guarantees In 2010

Romania’s guarantee fund for small and medium-sized enterprises plans to grant guarantees worth 1.8 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.0981) in 2010, up 9.6% compared with a year earlier, for loans worth RON3.806 billion.

Romanian Compulsory Education To Take 10 Years Under New Education Law

Compulsory education in Romania will take ten years and the ninth grade will be moved from high school to gymnasium, leading to a 20% decrease in the number of drop-outs, Education Minister Daniel Funeriu announced Wednesday, speaking about the draft law on education.

Romanian High School Admission Exams Switch To Transcurricular Approach

Romanian high school admission will consist, according to the new education law, of an evaluation comprising all curricula, added with a practical test of computer skills, as well as references from the teachers, said Romanian Education Minister Daniel Funeriu.

Romanians Plan To Save Up, Go Out Less, Attend Church More Often

Romanians living in urban areas will try this year to save up in the bank, go out less often and go to church more, after living worse in 2009 than they did between 2006 and 2008 and having had to cut down on spending, according to a study by Daedalus.

Romanian Teachers Threaten To Freeze School Year Over Wages, Job Cuts

Unions in Romania’s education system are determined to carry on with protests and could even freeze the school year and boycott national exams unless the Government finds ways to hike their wages and pay severance to staff that will be laid off later this year.

Romania Eyes Partnership To Lure Scandinavian Tourists

Romania’s Tourism & Regional Development Ministry secretary of state Sorin Munteanu meets Wednesday with officials of German Group TUI and plans to conclude a partnership with TUI Scandinavia in a move to lure tourists from Scandinavian countries to Romania.

Romanian President Tells Japan’s Business Community Of Romania’s 2010 Reform Goals

Romanian President Traian Basescu said in the Romanian-Japanese business forum held in Tokyo that the need for reform was emphasized by the economic crisis in Romania, and the Government is determined to push reform despite strong opposition from the unions.

Romanian Pensioners Threaten Protests If Pension Law Goes Through Unamended

Romanian pensioners affiliated to several union federations Wednesday submitted to the Senate an amendment to the draft pension law, urging an increase of the pension point to 45% of the average gross salary, and threatened to protest if the bill becomes law in its current format.

Romanian Cos File For Insolvency To Benefit From Law’s Advantages – Lawyer

Romanian companies with debts have distorted the very purpose of insolvency and very often resort to the measure for its advantages, to shield themselves from foreclosure and from paying debt penalties, said Wednesday Dan Costinescu, partner at law firm Schoenherr si Asociatii.

S&P Raises Romania Outlook To Stable, Citing Budget Reform

Standard&Poor's Ratings Services on Tuesday raised its outlook on Romania to stable from negative, citing budgetary consolidation and expectations that the country would continue to comply with an International Monetary Fund/EU agreement.

Romania’s Feb CPI + 0.2% On Mo, +4.5% On Yr

Romanian consumer prices rose by 0.2% on the month in February, below forecasts, while the annual inflation narrowed to 4.49%, the National Statistics Institute said Wednesday.

Romanian Mayor Suspended Following His Arrest On Corruption Charges

Democrat liberal Antonie Solomon, mayor of Romania’s southern city of Craiova, was suspended from public office Wednesday following his arrest on corruption charges.

Romanian PM Confirms Ministries Are Temporarily Banned From Concluding Advertising Contracts

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc Tuesday evening confirmed the Government decided to ban ministries from concluding advertising contracts for the next six months, due to budget constraints, adding that such contracts will not be forbidden as far as European programs are concerned.

Romania To Assign Extra Vouchers For 2010 Clunkers Program – PM

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Tuesday evening the Government will allot starting next week between 40,000 and 50,000 new vouchers for the 2010 clunkers program, as vouchers originally assigned for this year's program have been exhausted in less than one month.

Romania To Assign Extra Funds For 2010 Clunkers Program – Sources

Romania will assign extra funds for the 2010 clunkers program, as the vouchers originally assigned for this year's program have been depleted in less than one month, sources close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Tuesday evening.

Romania To Declassify Remaining Documents On 1989 Revolution

Romania’s Government on Tuesday decided the last documents and information on the December 1989 anticommunist Revolution would be declassified, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Tuesday.

Romanian Anticorruption Prosecutors Seek Parliament Approval To Arrest Social Democrat Senator

Romanian anticorruption prosecutors called on the justice minister to require Parliament approval to arrest social democrat senator Catalin Voicu, who is accused of influence peddling and fraud.

EBRD 09/10 Investment In Romania Might Top EUR1B

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development invested EUR721 million in Romanian projects last year, amounting to 70% of the EUR1 billion ceiling agreed with the local authorities, the International Monetary Fund and the EU, an EBRD official said Tuesday.

Reuters Files Insolvency Injunction Against Romanian Media Firms Realitatea Media, NewsIn

British news agency Reuters has demanded the bankruptcy of Romanian firms Realitatea Media and NewsIn, which are part of the Realitatea-Catavencu group, through two claims filed with the Bucharest Court on March 5.

Romania Annual Inflation Seen Slowing To 4.6% In February

Romanian annual inflation is expected to narrow to 4.6% in February from 5.2% a month earlier, according to estimations of the country’s association of financial and banking analysts AAFBR.

Romanian Carmaker Dacia’s First SUV To Be Launched In Romania On March 18

Romanian carmaker Dacia’s first SUV, the Duster, will be officially launched in Romania on March 18, and former Formula 1 pilot Alain Prost, who drove a Dacia Duster competition model in the French Andros Trophy ice racing championship, will be present at the event.

Romanian Agriculture Ministry Careful About Authorizing GMOs – Minister

Romania’s Agriculture Ministry is “careful” about approving the growth of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and authorization will only be granted on the basis of a solid scientific evaluation and proof of economic advantages, minister Mihail Dumitru told MEDIAFAX on Tuesday.

Romanian Job Market Warming Up – Manpower Survey

Romanian employers are slightly more optimistic regarding plans to recruit new staff in April-June, compared to the last six months, according to a survey by recruiting firm Manpower.

Romanian Subway Unionists To Stage Full-Blown Strike On March 18

Unionists with Romania’s state-owned subway company Metrorex will go on full-blown strike Thursday, March 18, after a court ruled their previous two-day strike in November 2009 had been legal, union leader Ioan Radoi said Tuesday.

Romania Plans To Continue Housing Program In 2011 – Sources

Romania’s government plans to continue the housing credit guarantee program in 2011, and the total guarantee ceiling will be established according to the engagements contracted during this year, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Monday.