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Romanian Social Democrats Vote To Overthrow Fmr Coalition Partners’ Govt Next Week

Romania’s Social Democratic Party leader, Mircea Geoana, whose party left the governing coalition last week, said Wednesday social democrats will back the liberals and Hungarian minority party’s no-confidence motion next Tuesday.

Romanian Parl Moves Govt’s Conf Vote Request For Wed But Sets No-Confidence Motion Vote For Tues

Romania’s Parliament postponed for next Wednesday a decision on the government’s request for a confidence vote to enact an IMF-required pension law, but a vote on a no-confidence motion seeking to overthrow the government was set for Tuesday, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Wednesday.

Romania 2Q GDP Sees 6th Largest Annual Decline In EU

Romania recorded the sixth biggest quarterly economic fall in the European Union in the April-June period, while the EU's average GDP fell 4.9% year-on-year, according to revised data released Wednesday.

Romania Transplant Auth Urges Health Min To Scarp Ban On Assisted Human Reproduction

Romania’s National Transplant Agency (ANT) on Wednesday proposed the country’s Health Ministry to amend the order recently issued by former Health Minister Ion Bazac that bans paid in-vitro fertilization and artificial insemination procedures.

Romania’s Registration Tax On Euro 4 Cars To Turn Buyers To Second-Hand Car Market

Romanian car buyers will turn to the second-hand car market after the registration tax will also apply to Euro 4 new cars with engine capacities of less than 2,000 cubic centimeters, chief of dealership AutoItalia Cristi Milea said Wednesday.

Romania Train Ticket Sales Dn 14% On Yr In August

Romania’s state-owned passenger railway company CFR Calatori reported a 14% decrease in ticket sale revenues in August compared with August last year, while subsidies accounted for 35% of ticket prices, company general manager Razvan Stoica said Wednesday.

Nearly 8,000 Romanian Workers, Unemployed, Pensioners, Students Protest At Govt HQ

Nearly 8,000 workers, unemployed, pensioners and university students from all over the country rallied Wednesday morning at the Government headquarters, demanding higher pay, job stability and decent pensions.

Romania Bans Paid In-Vitro Fertilization, Artificial Insemination Procedures

Romania’s former Health Minister Ion Bazac signed on September 23 an order banning paid in-vitro fertilization and artificial insemination and setting that assisted reproduction procedures fall in the category of human egg trafficking.

Romania Strongly Relies On Country’s New Pension Law To Pay Public Pensions- PM

Romania will no longer be able to ensure funds from the social security budget to pay public pensions if the pension law is not enacted, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Tuesday on B1 TV.

Romanian Ctrl Bk Governor Gets Unanimous Vote For New Term

Romanian Parliament's budget committees late Tuesday voted unanimously in favor of reappointing Mugur Isarescu as governor of the central bank BNR, subject to parliament approval.

Romanian Car Tax To Apply To Euro 4 Cars Come Dec 15, ‘09

The normative act through which the registration tax for Euro 4 cars was suspended will not be renewable, thus, after the expiration of the norm, owners of cars with the Euro 4 pollution norm will pay the registration tax.

Romania 9-Mo Budget Deficit At 5% Of GDP – Fin Min

Romania’s budget deficit was of 5% of the gross domestic product after the first nine months, below the cap agreed with the International Monetary Fund for this period, of 5.4% of the GDP, Finance Minister Gheorghe Pogea said Tuesday.

Romanian Leu’s Depreciation Bodes Ill On Economy – Ctrl Bkr

A further depreciation of the Romanian leu is “unnecessary and bad” for the economy, as significant declines may lead to a surplus of the current account, central bank’s governor Mugur Isarescu said Tuesday.

Romania Ctrl Bk Gov Sees Annual Inflation Well Below 5% In Sept

Romania’s annual inflation rate dropped well below 5% in September and is expected to reach around 4% by yearend, central bank’s governor Mugur Isarescu said Tuesday.

Liberals Propose Bogdan Olteanu As Romanian Ctrl Bk Deputy Governor

The Romanian Liberal Party PNL sustains Bogdan Olteanu, the vice-chairman of the Chamber of Deputies, for the position of deputy governor of the central bank BNR, liberal MP Eugen Nicolaescu told MEDIAFAX on Tuesday.

Romanian Finance Ministry Allots RON1.8B For Farmer Subsidy Advance

The Romanian Ministry of Finance approved Tuesday the allotting of 1.8 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.2619) to the Ministry of Agriculture, to finance the 70% advance meant for farmers within the support scheme offering single payments on surface in 2009, said interim Agriculture Minister Radu Berceanu.

Romanian Liberals Submit No-Confidence Motion To Overthrow Democrat Liberal Minority Govt

Romanian liberals, in opposition, submitted Tuesday at the Chamber of Deputies speaker’s office a no-confidence motion to overthrow the country’s all-democrat liberal government, which lacks parliament majority since social democrats switched to opposition.

European Electronic Toll Service To Be Available Within 3-5 Years

The European Commission established Tuesday, through a decision, the main requirements and technical specifications needed to launch the European Electronic Toll Service (EETS), which will enable drivers to pay tolls throughout the EU in three to five years.

Romania Economic Outlook Improves For 2nd Month In Sept – Survey

Romanian economic outlook for the next six months improved in September, but analyst expectations regarding economic development remain negative, a Erste/ZEW survey showed.

Romanian Lawmakers Meet To Analyze No-Confidence Motion To Oust Govt

Romanian Senate Chairman Mircea Geoana announced Tuesday the two chambers of Parliament meet to discuss the no-confidence motion to oust the all-democrat liberal Government, adding he is confident the motion will be submitted in the Parliament today.

Fin Min Admits Romania May Increase VAT Rate In ‘10

Romania may increase the value added tax rate as of next year, from the current 19%, to ensure a budget deficit of 5.9% of the gross domestic product, as agreed with the International Monetary Fund, Finance Minister Gheorghe Pogea said Tuesday.

Romania’s Transport Min Has Money To Pay Railway Employees’ Wages For 2009

Romania’s Transport Ministry has the money it needs to pay the railway employees' wages for 2009, deputy secretary of state within the Transport Ministry Constantin Axinia said Tuesday.

Unions Call On Romanian Govt To Delay Seeking Parliament Confidence Vote For Pension Law

Romania’s unions Tuesday called on the Government to postpone seeking a confidence vote in Parliament to enact an IMF-required public pension law, saying the law is abusive and its enactment would escalate social tension in the country.

Romanian Transport Min Wants 3.5% of GDP For Railway Infrastructure In 2010

Romanian Transport Minister Radu Berceanu asked the Finance Ministry to assign 3.5% of gross domestic product next year to upgrade the country’s railway infrastructure, from 0.3% of GDP assigned this year.

Romania Delays Railway Upgrade Works Six Months On Lack Of Funds

Works to upgrade the railway linking Romania’s capital Bucharest to southeastern Constanta are six months lagging over lack of funds and are to be finished in August next year, Transport Ministry sub-secretary of state Constantin Axinia said Tuesday.

UPDATE: Romania’s PM Ready To Resign If Pension Law Is Not Enacted

Romania’s Prime Minister Emil Boc said Tuesday he is ready to resign his position if the Parliament doesn't give the Government a confidence vote to enact the new pension law, adding he has considered this risk.

Romania’s Govt To Reduce Ministries’ Staff By 20%

Romania’s Government decided to reduce ministries’ staff by 20%, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Tuesday.

Romanian Govt To Ask Parl Confidence Vote To Enact IMF-Required Pension Law

Romania’s government has decided to ask the Parliament for a confidence vote to enact a public pension law, as it did last month with the unitary wage law for the public sector, the law on education and a law reorganizing government agencies and public institutions.

Romanian Car Maker Association Wants Car Park Renewal Program To Continue Despite Low Sales

Romanian car maker association APIA wants the car park renewal program to continue even if people will not be able to scrap three used cars for a new one and the sales registered by dealers are down.

Bucharest General Mayor Joins Presidential Race

Bucharest general mayor Sorin Oprescu Monday announced he will run for president in the election set for November 22.

S&P Assigns Romania ‘3’ Default Recovery Rating

Investors may recoup between 50% and 70% of their funds placed in Romanian bonds in the event of the country's default, according to Standard & Poor’s newly assigned debt recovery ratings of ‘3’.

Romanian Unionists To Continue Protests, Threaten General Strike

Romanian public sector unionists said Monday after talks at the Labor Ministry that protests will continue as none of their problems was solved and they might decide to go on general strike indefinitely.

Bucharest Office Rents Fall On Fewer Clients – King Sturge

Office rents in Romania’s capital city Bucharest and its surroundings returned this year to the levels in 2006 and might continue to drop due to the lowering number of clients and their migration towards cheaper spaces, according to a report of real estate consultancy firm King Sturge.

Wages, Pensions, Social Rights Not At Risk In ’09 And Next Yr – Romanian PM

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Monday, after talks with public sector unionists at the Labor Ministry, that the Government has the money to pay pensions, wages and social indemnities this year and the next.

Romania Sacks Over 10,000 Railway Employees

Romania will fire more than 10,300 railway sector employees, who will get double the average net wage per economy as severance, unemployment aid and monthly severance pay for 20 to 24 months, depending on seniority, according to a draft decree drawn up by the Transport Ministry.

Romanian Social Democrats To Back No-Confidence Motion Against Fmr Coalition Partners

Romania’s Social Democratic Party, which left the country’s coalition government last week and switched to opposition, decided Monday to back a no-confidence motion to oust the all-democrat liberal government which now lacks Parliament majority.

Romania Eyes Keeping Leu At RON4-RON5 Vs Euro – President

President Traian Basescu told Monday the Economic Forum in Bucharest that Romania aims to keep the leu exchange rate between RON4 and RON5 against the euro, though the leu "has not been feeling well lately due to the sharp strengthening of the euro."

Romania Plans Harsh Measures To Discourage Challenges To Public Works Auctions

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Monday Romania is working on harsh measures to discourage contractors from contesting public procurement auctions they don’t win and block public infrastructure works.

Former Rompetrol CEO Dinu Patriciu Ranks First In Forbes Romania Rich List

Romanian businesspeople Dinu Patriciu, Ioan Neculae and Ion Tiriac rank first in the first edition of Forbes Romania's rich list, with fortunes estimated at EUR2.2 billion, EUR1.2 billion and EUR850-900 million respectively.

Romania Ranks 63 Globally In UN Human Development Index

Romania is ranked among countries with a high level of human development this year, at 63, but is three spots lower than last year, when it was ranked 60 in the annual United Nations Human Development Index report released Monday.