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Romanian Parliament Committees Endorse Proposed Development & Tourism Minister

Romania’s Parliament committees for public administration, industry and services Tuesday endorsed proposed Regional Development and Tourism Minister Elena Udrea with 43 to four votes and one abstention.

Romanian FM-Designate Wants To Relaunch Ties With Russia

Romania’s Foreign Minister-designate Theodor Baconschi told lawmakers in a hearing Tuesday try he will try to resume Romania’s bilateral relation with Russia, adding Romania cannot ignore Russia, just as Russia cannot the fact that Romania is the EU and NATO’s eastern border.

Comm Min-Designate: Romania Not To Sell Posta Romana, To Keep Stake In Romtelecom

Romania’s Communications and Information Society Minister-designate Gabriel Sandu on Tuesday said he does not plan to sell state-owned postal company Posta Romana during his mandate, but reorganize it, adding the ministry’s stake in mainline operator Romtelecom will not be sold either.

Transport Min Says Romania Can Have 101 Km Of Highway Next Year Depending On Funds

Romania’s Transport Minister-designate Radu Berceanu said Tuesday Romania could have 101 kilometers in 2010 provided that financing is ensured.

Romanian Leasing Debtors May Sell Contracts On Specialized Website

Romanian leasing clients who are unable to pay their installments may transfer their leasing contract to other interested people, contacted through a dedicated website, which was launched Tuesday.

Romania’s Mining Sector To Be Reorganized, 1,600 Miners Sacked – EconMin Designate

Romania’s mining sector will be reorganized and 1,600 persons will be sacked from the state-owned pitcoal mining company CNH, Economy Minister-designate Adriean Videanu said at parliamentary hearing Tuesday, giving guarantees that no mine will be shut down.

Romanian Parliament Committees Endorse Proposed Defense Minister

Romania’s Parliament committees for defense Tuesday endorsed proposed Defense Minister Gabriel Oprea with 20 to two votes and one abstention.

Romania Social Security Contributions Kept In 2010 At This Year’s Level

Social security contributions in Romania will be kept in 2010 at this year’s level, for both employers and employees, and law-regulated loans that can be contracted from the social security budget by authorized individuals will be kept at 1.5 million lei (EUR1=RON4.2268) in 2010.

Romanian Parliament Committees Endorse Proposed Foreign Minister

Romania’s Parliament committees for foreign policy and European affairs Tuesday endorsed proposed Foreign Affairs Minister Theodor Baconschi with 33 to 15 votes and one abstention.

Romanian Econ Min-Designate Wants Rosia Montana Gold Mining Proj Renegotiated

Romania’s Economy Minister-designate Adriean Videanu said Tuesday during hearings on parliament committees that he wants to renegotiate Romania’s stake in the gold mining project in Rosia Montana, western Romania.

Romania’s Unemployment Rate To Drop To 7.3% In 2010 From 7.8% In 2009

Romania’s average unemployment rate will decrease from 7.8% in 2009 to 7.3% in 2010, and the number of unemployed people will be of 645,000 at the end of 2010, down 55,000 compared to the end of this year, according to Romania’s social security draft budget, obtained by MEDIAFAX.

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.