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Unionists Ask Romanian Pres Not To Interfere In Negotiations With Govt

Union leaders asked Romanian President Traian Basescu to no longer interfere in the negotiations between the Government and the social partners, head of the unions CNSLR Fratia and BNS said at the end of the meeting on Wednesday.

A 50% Hike In Romanian Teachers’ Salaries Would Impact Budget Def, Inflation – EC

European Commission stated Wednesday that the implementation of the law on increasing teachers’ salaries by 50% would significantly impact Romania’s budget deficit, inflation and the entire economy, as it may trigger similar requests from other public sectors.

Romanian Govt Drops Move To Cut Central Administration Staff By 20%

The Romanian Government will not reduce the number of the central administration’s employees by 20%, said Vasile Marica, head of the public servants' alliance Sex Lex, after the meeting with the Prime Minister and the President on Wednesday.

Romanian President Notices ‘Anomalies’ Btw Wages In Public, Production Sectors

Employees of public institutions are paid way above the employees in the production sector, which is “kind of an anomaly,” Romanian President Traian Basescu said after talks with employers’ associations on Wednesday.

EC: Romanian Tax Sys Most Burdensome

Romania operates one of the most burdensome tax administration systems in the world, as companies are paying 113 taxes per year, the European Commission warned in a progress assessment report Wednesday.

Romanian President Pushes For 6-Mo Moratorium On Wages, Pensions – Unionists

Romanian President Traian Basescu and social partners discussed a possible six-month moratorium on wages and pensions, alongside freezing salary bonuses, trade union officials said Wednesday.

Romania’s Rompetrol Hikes Gasoline, Diesel Oil Prices

Romania’s second-largest oil company Rompetrol Group NV rose Wednesday its gasoline and diesel oil reference prices by 0.09 lei (EUR1=RON4.2340) per liter and RON0.05 per liter respectively, the company said in a statement.

Romanian Fin Min Proposes Freezing, Cutting Unjustified Bonuses – Employers’ Assoc Head

Romanian Finance Minister Gheorghe Pogea proposed the freezing or cutting of bonuses in the public sector, as most of them are unjustified, Cezar Coraci, head of Employers’ Confederation of the Romanian Industry UGIR-1903, stated Wednesday, after the talks at the Finance Ministry.

Romanian Pres Says He Has Not Met IMF Experts At Fin Ministry

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Wednesday that he did not meet the International Monetary Fund experts at the Finance Ministry headquarters during the day.

Talks Between Romanian Govt, Social Partners On ’09 Budget Reach Final Phase – PM

Talks between the Romanian government and employers' association and trade union representatives regarding the 2009 budget have reached a final phase, so that the government will take Thursday a political decision on the budget construction, the prime minister Emil Boc said Wednesday.

Police Arrest Bucharest Citizen On Child Porn Peddling Charges

The Romanian Police arrested Wednesday a Bucharest local on charges of distributing via Internet to 20 countries child porn images he downloaded from various websites.

EC: Romania’s MP Elections Took Spot Before Econ Measures

The Romanian authorities could have implemented a series of measures to counter the economic downturn as early as last August, but attention “shifted” to the campaign for the November elections, the European Commission said in a progress assessment report Wednesday.

Romanian Pres, PM, Fin Min Did Not Take Part In Fin Ministry Talks With IMF Mission

The International Monetary Fund mission in Romania had regular talks with experts within the Finance Ministry on Wednesday, and Romania's President Traian Basescu, Prime Minister Emil Boc and finance minister Gheorghe Pogea did not take part in the discussion, the Finance Ministry stated.

President Speaks To Social Partners On Romania’s Econ Status

Romanian President Traian Basescu presented the country’s economic situation and external circumstances to representatives of employers' associations and trade unions, in a meeting at the Finance Ministry Wednesday.

Dominic of Habsburg Plans To Keep Castle Bran As Private Museum

Dominic of Habsburg, the owner of Romania’s Castle Bran, told MEDIAFAX Wednesday that the best solution for the castle is to be a private museum and the castle will be turned into a private museum as of May.

Romanian Transp Min Appoints New General Manager At State-Run Airline Tarom

Romanian Transport Minister Radu Berceanu appointed Ruxandra Brutaru the general manager of the country’s airliner Tarom on Wednesday.

Romanian President: Global Economy Is Seen Worse

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Wednesday that a new assessment showing a worsening of the global economy will be published on Thursday, and it would revise downwards the global economic growth forecast from 2.2% to 1.5%.

Romania Tourism Ministry To Keep Stakes In Hotels In Times Of Crisis- Official

Romania’s tourism minister Elena Udrea said Tuesday, within the International Tourism Fair in Madrid, that she disagrees with selling, during this period, the stakes the ministry owns in several hotel companies, arguing the ministry would obtain low prices in the fallout of the economic crisis.

Bucharest Cos To Can 11,300 Employees By March

Some 11,300 employees in Romanian capital city Bucharest will lose their jobs by March, the Bucharest employment agency (AMOFM) said Wednesday.

Romanian Tourism Min Could Build Balneal Spa In N Bucharest

The Romanian Ministry of Tourism could get involved in the construction of a balneal complex in northern Bucharest, to make use of Bucharest’s balneal potential, said tourism minister Elena Udrea.

Romanian Leu Further Up Vs Euro, Exch Rate At RON4.2340 Vs Euro

The Romanian leu continued to appreciate against the euro on Wednesday, and the central bank computed an indicative of RON4.2340, a fresh high of the last two weeks.

Transparency International Sets Crosshairs On Romanian Anticorruption Dept

The Romanian unit of Transparency International requested the publishing of the criteria used in the activity analysis applied to the National Anticorruption Department in the past six months of interim leadership, as well as during the three-year mandate of Daniel Morar.

Romanian President, IMF Mission Attend Talks On ’09 Budget

Romanian President Traian Basescu attends talks on the 2009 budget at the Finance Ministry, alongside Prime Minister Emil Boc and the IMF mission in Romania.

Romanian PM Says Freezing Wages May Only Be Decided After Consultations With Unions

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Wednesday at the headquarters of the Finance Ministry that a potential decision to freeze wages can be made only after consultations with unions.

Romania’s Oil Co Petrom To Cut 3,000 Jobs As of Feb 1

Romania’s dominant oil company Petrom (SNP.RO), majority owned by OMV AG (OMV.VI), will sack 3,000 employees as of February 1, according to the Employment Agency AJOFM in the southern county of Prahova.

Romanian PM: ’09 Budget Draft To Be Discussed Thursday

Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc said Wednesday the 2009 budget draft would be discussed in Thursday’s Government meeting.

Moby Returns To Romania For Gig At B’estfest

American musician Moby will have a concert in Bucharest on July, during the third annual edition of B'estfest, to take place Jul 1 - 5, organizers Emagic Entertainment said.

Romanian Healthcare Unionists To Protest If Protocol With Former Govt Isn’t Observed

Romanian healthcare employees could resume protests if the protocol they signed last year with the Health Ministry isn’t observed, but they will make a decision after they meet with Prime Minister Emil Boc and after the state budget is approved, union leader Marius Petcu said Wednesday.

Romanian Property Values To Be Reduced By 15% In Property Guide

The values included in the Romanian guide or real estate property will be reduced by 15%, experts told the Bucharest Chamber of Notaries Public, adding this correction was needed because of the “atypical evolution of the real estate market" prompted by the economic crisis.

Firefighters Keep Struggling To Put Out Warehouse Fire S Romania

Firefighters have been struggling since Sunday night to put out a fire at the used clothing warehouse located in the Giurgiu Free Zone, southern Romania.

Romanian Ministries To Absorb Little EU Funding This Year

Romanian democrat liberal vice-president Gheorghe Flutur said Tuesday night, after the governing alliance’s central political office meeting, that the government is "pretty cautious" with the outlook of European fund absorption.

Romania Tourism Min Pushes For More Casinos On The Seaside

Romania’s tourism minister Elena Udrea said a larger number of casinos on the seaside would certainly attract more tourists, adding this can only be accomplished with fiscal facilities.

Cristina Traila Appointed Head Of Romania’s Public Procurement Auth

Democrat liberal Cristina Traila on Tuesday replaced Marius Gogescu as head of the Romanian authority in charge with overseeing public procurement, or ANRMAP.

Romanian ’09 Preliminary Budget Sees Pension Spending At 8% Of GDP, Public Salaries At 6.9% Of GDP

The government plans to allocate 8% of the gross domestic product for pensions, 6.9% of the GDP for budgetary salaries and 2% of the GDP for unemployment aid, while education spending is seen at 6% of the GDP, and defense spending at 1.8% of the GDP, according to governmental sources.

Romanian Unionists Dismiss Rumors On Salary Freezing

Romania’s Finance Ministry has never considered freezing salaries in the public sector and talks on the matter concerned a 5% hike of the salary fund, similar to the estimated inflation rate, trade union officials said Tuesday.

Romanian Social Democrat Leader Geoana Considers Running For President – Sources

Romanian social democrat leader Mircea Geoana is considering running for president in the 2009 elections and will make a decision after March 15, when the party expects the results of an opinion poll, sources within the Social Democratic Party told MEDIAFAX Tuesday.

Romanian Govt Plans To Propose Wage Freeze To Social Partners – Sources

The Romanian government plans to propose to social partners a moratorium on wages and pensions for a limited period, but the document is still being analyzed and hasn’t yet been approved by the ruling coalition, government source told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Senate Chairman Says People Making A Living On Copyright Should Be Protected

Romanian Senate Chairman Mircea Geoana said Tuesday, after an informal meeting with members of the Romanian Press Club, that people earning a living from copyright should be protected.

Romanian Chamber Legal Committee Rejects Criminal, Civil Code Amendments

The legal committee within the Romanian Chamber of Deputies decided Tuesday to reject all draft amendments of the criminal and civil codes, at the initiative of former justice minister Tudor Chiuariu, who proposed the rejection of these initiatives pending the enactment of the new codes.

Romanian Social Democrats Wouldn’t Agree To Freeze Wages For 6 Mos – Paper

Romanian social democrat leader Mircea Geoana told daily Gandul that the social democrats won’t agree to a proposal to freeze wages, which president Traian Basescu said he wouldn’t criticize.