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Romanian Parliament Committees Endorse Proposed Finance Minister

Romania’s Parliament committees for budget and finance Tuesday endorsed proposed Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu with 36 to two votes.

Romania To Set Restrictive Salary Policies, In Line With IMF Pact- FinMin Designate

Romania must observe the terms of the stand-by agreement with the International Monetary Fund IMF and the European Union regarding a restrictive salary and social policy for at least three years, Finance minister designate Sebastian Vladescu said at parliamentary hearing Tuesday.

Romanian Parliament Committees Endorse Proposed Interior Minister

Romania’s Parliament committees for public administration, defense and public order Tuesday endorsed proposed Interior Minister Vasile Blaga with 46 to ten votes and four abstentions.

Romania Freezes Pensions In 2010 At Oct ’09 Level

Pensions will be frozen next year by keeping the pension point at the level set for October 2009, of 732.8 lei (EUR1=RON 4.2119), so that the average monthly pension of social security contributors will be of RON701.2, according to Romania’s social security draft budget, obtained by MEDIAFAX.

Romania’s Proposed Fin Min Says State Budget Entails 100,000 Public Sector Job Cuts

Romania’s 2010 state budget entails 100,000 job cuts in the public sector, proposed Finance Minister Sebastian Vladescu told lawmakers in special commissions during his hearing Tuesday.

Romania Ups Pvt Pension Contribution To 2.5% In 2010 Instead Of Law-Required 3%

Romanians’ contributions to mandatory private pensions will increase by half a percentage point in 2010, to 2.5% of the contributors’ gross wage, instead of the 3% as required by the law regulating private pensions, according to next year’s draft social security budget.

Romanian Commissioner-Designate Sees Agriculture Minister’s Nomination As Wise

Dacian Ciolos, Romania's European Commissioner-designate for Agriculture and Rural Development, said Monday the designation of Mihai Dumitru as the country’s future agriculture minister is “a wise decision” as he is familiar with the Union’s agricultural policy.

Romania’s Parliament Decides Not To Hear Designated Deputy PM Marko Bela

Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania leader Marko Bela, designated deputy prime minister in the country’s future Government, will not be heard in parliament commissions as he does not have direct attributions.

Romania To Earn RON1B Less Than Initially Estimated From Car Pollution Tax

Romania will earn around 630 million lei (EUR1=RON4.2119) this year from the tax on automobile pollution, RON1 billion less than the Government initially estimated, because of the severe drop in the number of car registrations.

Romania’s President Calls For Dialogue Between Politicians

Romania’s President Traian Basescu said Monday, after he was sworn in for a second term, that his reelection is due to the fact that he has taken up the task of modernizing the country.

Romania’s President To Request New National Defense Strategy

Romania’s President Traian Basescu said Monday he will request a new national defense strategy and highlighted the support given by France so that Romania could obtain the Agriculture portfolio in the European Commission.

Reelected Romanian President Basescu Vows To Oppose Oligarchization

Reelected Romanian President Traian Basescu said Monday that the excessive influence of financial interest groups is a threat to democracy and that he will oppose any attempt to turn Romania into an oligarchy.

Romania State Budget Gap Seen Down To RON35B In ‘10 – Bill

Romania’s state budget deficit is envisaged at 6.66% of the gross domestic product in 2010, or 35.02 billion lei (EUR1-RON4.2119), compared with a 7.89% of GDP gap predicted for this year.

Romania’s Govt To Pay Salary Rights Won In Court By Public Sector Employees Starting July 2010

Romanian public sector employees that demanded salary rights in court and won them in final rulings will receive the money starting with the second half of 2010, according to next year’s draft state budget law.

Romania GDP Seen Growing 0.5% In Q4 Vs Q3 – Analysts

Romanian economy is expected to advance 0.5% in the fourth quarter compared with July-September period, with similar quarterly growth rates likely to be reported in 2010 as well, analysts with ING Bank Romania said Monday.

Romania’s Revenue From Minimum Tax At RON592.8M By Sept

Romanian authorities cashed overall revenue to the consolidated general budget amounting to 592.8 million lei (EUR1=RON4.2119) from the minimum tax levied until September, officials of the country’s fiscal authority ANAF said Monday.

Romanian Dealers Re-Sold 25,000 New Cars Abroad – Car Dealer Radacini Motors

Romanian dealers sold abroad 25,000 imported cars, the high demand owing to advantageous discounts offered by Romanian partners and the success of clunkers programs, according to the estimates of dealer Radacini Motors.

Romanian Govt Bans Meal, Gift, Vacation Vouchers To Public Sector Staff In 2010

Romania’s government will ban central and local public institutions from granting meal, gift and vacation vouchers in 2010, according to the 2010 draft budget.

Romanian Liberal Lawmakers To Vote Against Future Govt – Liberal Leader

Romania’s liberal leader Crin Antonescu said Monday the party decided that liberal lawmakers will not endorse the new Government proposed by Prime Minister-designate Emil Boc.

Romanian President Urges Speedy State Budget Adoption To Unlock International Bailout Money

Romanian President Traian Basescu sent a latter to Parliament Monday urging adoption of the 2010 state budget by January 16 to unlock further disbursements of an IMF-led bailout loan of nearly EUR20 billion.

Romanian Parliament Holds Minister Hearings Tuesday, Confidence Vote Wednesday

Romania’s Parliament will hold hearings of proposed ministers in special commissions all day Tuesday and a confidence vote on the proposed government and its governing program Wednesday, Chamber of Deputies vice-president Ludovic Orban told MEDIAFAX.

Cold Weather Kills 11 People In Romania – Health Ministry

Eleven people died of hypothermia during December 13-21 in Romanian counties Arad, Bacau, Constanta, Neamt, Prahova and Suceava, the country’s Health Ministry said Monday.

Romania’s Govt To Propose Highway Building National Pact To Be Allotted 1% Of GDP

Romania’s Government will propose a national pact for highway building that should be allotted at least 1% of the gross domestic product and include projects due to be completed by 2020, according to the governing program submitted to Parliament Sunday.

Romania’s Parliament Committees To Hear New Govt’s Designated Ministers Tuesday

Romania’s Parliament will hear Tuesday the ministers designated to form the country’s future Government, and the Cabinet will be given a confidence vote Wednesday, people close to the matter said Sunday evening.

Romania’s Future Govt Program Widens National Minorities’ Rights – PM

Romania’s future governing program will widen national minorities’ rights so that they can preserve their cultural and ethnic identity, Prime Minister-designate Emil Boc said Sunday.

Romania’s New Governing Program Includes Reassessment Of Rosia Montana Gold Mining Project

Romania’s future governing program includes a reassessment of the Rosia Montana gold mining project in the western are of the country, based on local and international expertise, along with the creation of a national strategy for non-energetic mineral resources.

Romania’s PM Announces New Govt Members’ List

Romania’s Prime Minister-designate Emil Boc Sunday announced the list of the country’s new Cabinet that includes 15 ministries and a deputy prime minister position.

Romanian Govt To Keep VAT At 19%, Flat Tax At 16%

Romania’s future government will keep the flat tax at 16% and the value added tax (VAT) at 19% in next year’s state budget, which is built on a deficit of 5.9% of gross domestic product and economic growth of 1.3%, Prime Minister-designate Emil Boc said Sunday.

Romanian EC Expert Mihai Dumitru Might Be Nominated Agriculture Min

Romanian European Commission expert Mihai Dumitru might be nominated agriculture minister, following democrat liberal Orest Onofrei’s decision to give up his position as agriculture minister-designate, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Sunday.

Romania’s PM To Submit Govt List, Program To Parliament Sunday

Romania’s Prime Minister Emil Boc will submit to Parliament Sunday afternoon the future Government’s approved minister list and government program, people close to the matter said Saturday evening.

Romania’s Agriculture Minister-Designate Wants To Give Up Portfolio

Romanian democrat liberal lawmaker Orest Onofrei, designated as agriculture minister in the future Government, said Saturday evening he plans to give up the nomination following new accusations regarding his involvement in a car accident that caused the death of a eight-year-old child.

Romania’s Future Govt To Approve 2010 Draft Budget On December 24

Romania’s Government will approve the draft budget for 2010 on December 24, after the Parliament endorses the country’s new Cabinet, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Saturday.

Romania’s Ambassador To Paris Confirms Nomination For Foreign Affairs Min

Romania’s Ambassador to Paris Teodor Baconschi Saturday confirmed his designation as foreign affairs minister and said he will come to Bucharest on Monday.

Romanian Democrat Liberals, Hungarian Minority Party Completed Govt Protocol

Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania leader Marko Bela told MEDIAFAX Saturday he met with President Traian Basescu, Prime Minister-designate Emil Boc and the future Cabinet’s proposed ministers, adding they completed the government protocol and the government coalition’s functioning regulation.

Romania’s Ambassador To Paris Rumored As Possible Foreign Affairs Minister Nomination

Romania’s Ambassador to Paris Theodor Baconschi might be nominated for the country’s foreign affairs minister, people closed to the matter told MEDIAFAX Saturday.

Romania Ranks 1st Among Six Eastern Europe Countries By Number Of Closed Companies – Survey

Romania registered the highest percentage of companies closing down in 2008 and 2009 due to the economic crisis, according to a survey conducted by the World Bank in the June 2009 and July 2009 interval.

Romania’s PM Met With Proposed Cabinet’s Ministers To Complete Govt Program

Romania’s Prime Minister-designate Emil Boc met Sunday with the ministers of the country’s proposed Government to complete the government program, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX.

Romania A/H1N1 Death Toll Rises To 30

Romania registers 30 fatalities in patients infected with the A/H1N1 flu virus, as one more patient died in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Saturday.

Romania’s Govt To Meet For Talks On 2010 Draft Budget Saturday

Romania’s Government Saturday evening will convene in an informal meeting to talk on the 2010 draft state budget, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Democrat Liberals, Hungarian Minority Party Approved Minister List

The Romanian Democratic Liberal Party (PDL) and the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) Friday evening approved the list of ministers proposed for the country’s future Government.