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Romania ’08 Budget Spending EUR500M Vs. EUR50M In ’07

Romanian public institutions and state-owned companies bought cars, laptops and furniture worth over EUR500 million in 2008, tenfold higher compared with total purchases of EUR50 million in 2007, and most contracts were signed with private suppliers during August-December 2008.

Romanian Lidia Simon Finishes 5th In Osaka Marathon

Romanian athlete Lidia Simon finished fifth in the Osaka International Women's Marathon on Sunday, with a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, 14 seconds.

Austrian Retailer Kika Rejects Romanian Mobexpert Accusations Of Disloyal Competition

Austrian retailer Kika on Saturday rejected the accusations of Romanian furniture maker and retailer Mobexpert which said Kika breached industrial property rights by using one of Mobexpert's copyright-protected slogans.

Romanian President Delivers Lofty Speech, Calls For Country’s Modernization

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Saturday in eastern city of Focsani, during the ceremony celebrating 150 since the Union of Romanian Principalities, that Romania will not be affected by the economic crisis the way other countries are affected, adding this is a solid reason for the country to start its modernization process now.

Romanian Tarom Extends Fleet With New Boeing 737-800 Next Generation

Romania’s flag carrier Tarom will include a new Boeing 737-800 Next Generation in its fleet as of January 24, 2009, which was leased for a five-year period.

Romanians Celebrate 150 Years Since Union Of Romanian Principalities

Romania’s northeastern city of Iasi hosted Saturday morning the ceremony celebrating 150 years since the de facto Union of Wallachia and Moldavia into the Principality of Romania on January 24, 1859 under union leader Alexandru Ioan Cuza.

Red Tape Kills Patient In S Romania

A 62 year old Romanian patient moved around for four hours between two hospitals in southern Romanian town Slatina died Thursday without receiving any medical treatment.

Romanian Govt to Begin Talks With Ford On Loan Guarantees

The Romanian government will begin talks with Ford on the conditions to guarantee a loan for the American group, in accordance with the request formulated by the investor late 2008.

Romania’s Govt Anti-Crisis Measures To Be Included In Separate Budget Chapter

The anti-crisis measures will be enacted by an emergency ordinance, in order to be enforced immediately, and will be part of a separate budget chapter, not being included in the ministries’ budgets, Cezar Coraci, head of the Employers’ Confederation of the Romanian Industry UGIR-1903, said Friday.

IMF Says Romania Not Asked For A Program

Romania has not requested an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, and the institution is not pressing Romanian government to request such a program, IMF stated Friday in a press release.

Arabian Airliner Eyes Hiring 2,000 Romanians – Employment Agency

The local employment agency in Romania’s northwestern county of Cluj might organize a job fair in March this year for an Arabian airliner which plans to hire two thousand Romanian nationals as flight attendants.

Romania Telecom Regulator Urges Amendments To Law On Personal Data Storage

Liviu Nistoran, head of Romania’s National Communications Authority (ANC), will propose amendments to article 20 of the law on the storage of data generated or processed by communications suppliers, aiming to ban the recording of the contents of phone conversations, text messages or e-mails.

Romanian Public Servants Mull Protests Against Govt Decision To Cut Staff By 20%

Romanian public servants threaten to protest to the government’s decision to scrap 20% of jobs in the central public administration, which they consider is an irresponsible government decision that will weaken state authority and affects public interest.

Romanian Authorities Mull Resuming Talks With Russia On Gas Issue

Romanian authorities aim to resume talks with Russia on the issue of natural gas, as well as other "heavy" issues, Economy Ministry secretary of state Tudor Serban said Friday.

Romanian Mobexpert Sues Austrian Retailer kika Over Ind Property Rights

Romanian furniture maker and retailer Mobexpert has sued Austrian peer kika for breaching industrial property rights, Mobexpert owner Dan Sucu said Friday.

Romanian Econ Min Official Says Energy Watchdog Disfavors State-Owned Power Cos, Consumers

Romanian Energy Watchdog ANRE has not correlated the natural gas and electric power price hikes, and thus favors private companies in the gas sector by authorizing price hikes, to the detriment of state-owned power companies that saw lower price increases, an Economy Ministry official said.

Romania, Ukraine To Resume Monitoring Of Respective National Minorities

Ukrainian foreign minister Volodimir Ogryzko said Friday in Kiev that he agreed with Romanian foreign minister Cristian Diaconescu to resume the monitoring of the state of minorities in both countries.

Romanian Leu Up Vs Euro, Exch Rate At RON4.2910

The Romanian leu appreciated against the euro in Friday’s mid-trade, and dealers alleged an intervention of the central bank stepped in which computed an indicative of RON4.2910 to the euro, the highest level of this week.

Romanian, Ukrainian FMs Decline To Speculate On Decision In The Hague

The Romanian and Ukrainian foreign ministers said Friday they are waiting for the decision of the International Court of Justice in The Hague on maritime delimitation in the Black Sea and declined to speculate on the matter.

Romania Econ Min To Focus On Selling State-Owned Pwr Cos On Stock Exch

Romania will focus on selling the state-owned power companies on the Bucharest Stock Exchange, instead of selling them to strategic investors, but a listing in 2009 is rather unlikely, Economy Minister state secretary Tudor Serban said Friday.

Romanian Fin Min Invites Social Partners To Talks On Anti-Crisis Measures

Romanian Finance Minister Gheorghe Pogea has invited officials of trade unions and employers’ associations to a new round of talks on potential measures to tackle the economic crisis, official sources said Friday.

Romanian PM Chancellery To Be Restructured, 40% Of Positions Cut

Romanian Prime Minister’s Chancellery will be restructured and around 40% of the positions stipulated in the institution’s organizational chart will be cut, governmental sources told MEDIAFAX Thursday.

IKEA Romania Says Fincl Crisis Had No Effects On ’08 Sales

The financial turmoil had no negative impact on IKEA Romania's sales in 2008, but the company expects a higher pressure on the family budgets of its clients in 2009, the company's retail manager Cornel Oprisan told MEDIAFAX on Thursday.

Compensated Medicine Prices Will Drop By Some 10% – Romanian Health Min

Romanian health minister Ion Bazac announced Thursday after the meeting with distributors, producers and pharmacists that the price of compensated medicine will decrease by some 10% starting with February 1, contrary to the statements made by distributors and producers, who said prices could grow.

Romania, US Bechtel Agree To Give Up Highway Advance Payment In ‘09

Romanian Transport Ministry and U.S. construction giant Bechtel agreed to give up the advance payment for this year’s works at the country’s biggest highway project, Transylvania, Transport Minister Radu Berceanu said Thursday.

Romanian Govt Cuts Central Administration Staff By 20%

The Romanian Government will reduce by 20% the number of positions in the central public administration, representing ministries and government agencies, but the decision does not touch on the employees in the entire public sector.

Romanian Ctrl Bk Mortgage Lending Eased Rules Come Into Force

Romanian banks can accept a higher indebtedness degree for mortgage lending as they will no longer apply the stress test, according to the central bank’s new regulations published Thursday in the Official Gazette.

Romanian Govt To Base Prefect Replacement On Mobility Principle In ’09

The Romanian government removed the provision that states the positions of government inspector will be limited to at most 30% of the number of positions connected to the other public offices in the category of high public servants.

Romanian Drug Distributors Resume Deliveries, Up Prices As Of Feb 1

Romanian drug distributors said Thursday, after a meeting with health minister Ion Bazac, they would resume drug deliveries as of Feb 1, but prices will increase as of the same date, as they will be calculated at an exchange rate of 4 Romanian lei to the euro from the previous RON3.63 to the euro.

Kidnapped Romanian Released In S Nigeria

The Romanian sailor who had been kidnapped Wednesday in southern Nigeria, was released Thursday, a Nigerian military spokesperson told AFP.

Romanian Woman’s Twins Turn Out To Be Stillborn Two-Headed Son

A woman who thought was pregnant with twins had a stillborn two-headed baby with severe malformations at a maternity in Oradea, western Romania.

Romanian Tourist Lost In Australian Desert Found After Six Days

A Romanian tourist who got lost in the Australian desert was rescued after six days when he managed to contact his family in Romania on his mobile phone, The Age reported.

Romanian Agriculture Close To Disaster – Min

Romanian Agriculture Minister Ilie Sarbu on Thursday said the country’s agriculture is “nearly a disaster”, with ineffective subordinated structures despite high salaries paid to employees.

Romanian Transporters Ended Protest In Bucharest Two Hours Early

About 200 road transporters in Romania’s capital city Bucharest and surrounding Ilfov county, who protested Thursday in the Constitutiei Square near the Parliament Palace Thursday against the mayoralty’s decision to resume public transport in Ilfov, ended their protest two hours earlier.

Romanian Prosecutor Gen Asks Lawmakers’ Approval To Go After Ex PM

Romania’s prosecutor general Laura Codruta Kovesi on Thursday requested approval from the Chamber of Deputies to prosecute former premier and current legislator Adrian Nastase.

Romanian Leu Hits All Time Low For 3rd Consecutive Day At RON4.3127 Vs Euro

The Romanian central bank published Thursday an exchange rate of RON4.3127 to the euro, thus the Romanian leu touched, for the third day in a row, a fresh all-time low against the European currency.

EC Won’t Reimburse SAPARD Payments Earlier Than 3-4 Months – Minister

The European Commission won’t reimburse payments to Romania within the SAPARD program sooner than in three or four months, Romanian agriculture minister Ilie Sarbu said in a press conference Thursday.

Hundreds Of Road Transporters Protest In Bucharest

About 200 road transporters in Romania’s capital city Bucharest and surrounding Ilfov county gathered in the Constitutiei Square near the Parliament Palace Thursday to protest against the mayoralty’s decision to resume public transport in Ilfov.

Many Romanians See Country’s Economy In Recession In ’09 – Survey

More than one third of Romanians see the country’s economy in recession in 2009 and only 8% of them expect an economic growth similar to previous years, according to a survey conducted early December 2008 by Unlock Market Research.

Romanian Govt To OK ‘09 State Budget Next Thursday

The Romanian Government will approve the country’s 2009 state budget draft next Thursday, the vice-president of the Liberal Democratic Party PDL Gheorghe Flutur said after the meeting of the Ruling Coalition Coordination Bureau.