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Romanian Govt Wants Parent Bks To Continue Funding – PM

The Romanian Government wants the foreign banks operating in Romania to continue to get financing lines from parent companies and does not plan to take over stakes in exchange for support measures, following certain EU states model, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Monday.

Romanian Parliament Starts Debates On ’09 Bugdet Tuesday

The Romanian Parliament will start discussions on the 2009 budget draft on Tuesday and the budget might be adopted as soon as Thursday noon, as over 7,000 amendments are to be debated, said Monday Gheorghe Flutur, the vice-president of the Democratic Liberal Party, part of the ruling coalition.

Romanian Govt To Keep Election Promises As Long As Economy Allows It – PM

The Romanian government will keep all the promises made during the election campaign as long as the economy allows it, Prime Minister Emil Boc said Monday.

Romania’s Ruling Coalition To Meet Ctrl Bker For Anti-Crisis Program Talks

Gheorghe Flutur, vice-president of the Democratic Liberal Party, part of the ruling coalition, stated Monday that the coalition would meet central bank governor Mugur Isarescu for talks on the anti-crisis program that needs to ensure the economic stability of the country.

Family Doctors To Go On Medical Leave, From Wednesday To Friday

Family doctors are to submit, on Monday, their requests for medical leave from Wednesday to Friday, as an act of protest against the 2009 budget assigned to the sector, said Rodica Tanasescu, the president of the National Family Medicine Society.

About 1,000 ArcelorMittal Galati Workers Leave Through Voluntary Layoff Progr

Approximately 1,000 employees of Romanian largest steel maker ArcelorMittal Galati were laid off after they filed requests to leave through the voluntary layoffs program, while another 1,000 are expecting the same measures, a trade union representative said Monday.

Four Romanians Injured In Allegedly Racist-Driven Attack In Rome

Four Romanian citizens were injured, two of them seriously, in an attack on a restaurant in Rome, Italy, on Sunday evening, the online edition of La Repubblica reported.

Romania, And Others, Could Bankrupt Austria

Eastern European states, including Romania, could bankrupt Austria, since Austrian banks cannot support the losses registered by branches in the region on their own, and the state will be forced to intervene, according to Austrian magazine Profil.

Citizen Safety Has Become A Govt Priority – Romanian PM

Romanian prime minister Emil Boc said Sunday, referring to the armed robberies in Romanian cities Cluj and Brasov, that the safety of citizens has become a top level priority for the government.

Romanian Pres Points To “Ethnic Cleansing” In C Romania

Romanian president Traian Basescu said Saturday that ethnic cleansing took place in in the administrations of Romanian counties Harghita and Covasna.

Contracts Inked By Romania’s Hidroelectrica To Be Made Public

The Romanian Ministry of Economy intends to make public the contracts concluded by state-owned power company Hidroelectrica with private energy traders, and will ask for approval from companies in this respect, energy market sources told MEDIAFAX Saturday.

Romanian Parliament Committees OK ’09 State Budget

The reunited committees for budget and finance approved Saturday the Romanian state budget for 2009, with eight cons, from the members of the opposition.

Armed Robbery Sends Banks Looking For Security Upgrades

Romanian banks are considering the possibility to take additional security measures, after the armed robbery of a bank in W Romania, said Romanian Banks Association president Radu Gratian Ghetea.

Romanian Parliament Committees OK ’09 Social Security Budget

The reunited committees for budget and finance in the Romanian Parliament approved Saturday the social security budget for 2009, with only seven cons, from the members of the opposition.

Robbed Romanian Bank Offers Reward For Info On Robbers

Romanian bank Banca Transilvania decided to offer a reward to those who can inform the police on the whereabouts of the armed robbers who attacked the bank Friday, in western Romanian city Cluj.

Romanian Bank Robbed At Gun Point In W Romania

Two people with guns and ski masks entered a bank in western Romanian city Cluj, pistol-whipped the guard and struck a cashier, making away with the equivalent of some EUR70,000.

President Traian Basescu Invites Hungarian Officials C Romania To Informal Talks

Romanian President Traian Basescu invited the mayors and heads of local councils in Covasna and Harghita counties to informal talks on February 14, official sources told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Romanian Govt Sets Up Measures To Avoid Excessive Deficit Procedure

Romanian Government already drafted an emergency ordinance that includes a series of measures on cutting budget expenses, to keep the deficit at a low level and thus avoid European Commission’s excessive deficit procedure.

Romania’s Dacia Beats Mercedes Sales In Germany

Germany’s program subsidizing the purchase of new cars, through granting a bonus of EUR2,500 upon the dismantling of an old car, led to an explosion of Romanian-made Dacia impost, which are seen as more attractive than Mercedes models, Financial Times Deutschland informed.

Romania Firmly Rejects The Idea Of Territorial Autonomy- Head Of State

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Friday that one can never gain territorial autonomy in Romania, stressing that politicians who fool people into believing the opposite will only suffer the consequences.

Romanian Ruling Coalition, Opp Parties Argue On ’09 Budget

Romanian senators and deputies with the ruling coalition and the opposition parties in the Parliament's budget and finance commissions argued Friday during the general debates on 2009’s budget draft.

Romania May Take A Decision On IMF Loan In 2 Wks

Romania might take a decision regarding an agreement with the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, in two weeks at most, the country’s Finance Minister Gheorghe Pogea said Friday.

Romanian Govt Says Pvt Pension Contribution Freeze In ’09 Is Temporary, Needed To Cover Deficit

The Romanian government justified the keeping of contributions to mandatory private pensions at 2% this year by the need to control the deficit of the public pension system, adding the measure is temporary.

Romania’s 1Q GDP Growth Seen Below 1% – Fin Min

Romania’s economic growth will be below 1% in the first quarter of 2009, the country’s Finance Minister Gheorghe Pogea said Friday.

Handball Player Murder Suspect Sztojka Ivan Turned Himself In

Sztojka Ivan, one of the suspects in the killing of Romanian handball player Marian Cozma, turned himself in to the Veszprem police Thursday night, Hungarian media reported.

Some 70-75 Km Of Hwy To Be Complete This Year – Romanian Transport Min

Romanian transport and infrastructure minister Radu Berceanu said Thursday in a press conference that 70-75 kilometers of highway will be completed this year.

Third Suspect In Handball Player Murder Set To Turn Himself In

Ivan Sztojka, the man sought in the murder of Romanian handball player Marian Cozma, sent a letter to his mother, in which he wrote he will turn himself in and he is innocent.

Econ Crisis Will Kill Some 40% Of Romanian SMEs – SME Min

The Romanian minister in charge with small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), commerce and the business environment, Constantin Nita, said Thursday some 40% of SMEs will have problems this year and could go bankrupt because of the economic crisis.

Romanian Rompetrol Rafinare ’08 Losses Up 130% Y-Y, To $267M

Romania’s Rompetrol Rafinare (RRC.RO), the refining unit of the country's second-largest oil company Rompetrol Group NV, posted $266.8 million in consolidated losses in 2008, more than double compared with $116.2 million in 2007, the company announced Thursday.

Romania’s Bechtel Contract To Cease If Negotiations Fail – Transp Min

Romania’s Transport and Infrastructure Ministry will cease the contract inked with US Bechtel for the construction of the Brasov-Bors highway if negotiations for signing a protocol that changes some clauses fail, the minister in charge, Radu Berceanu, said Thursday.

Romania’s Transp Min Hires Back Some GMs Dismissed End-2008

Romania’s Transport Minister Radu Berceanu hired back part of the 31 managers of subordinated companies he dismissed when taking over his mandate, as some of them accepted lower salaries, while no replacers were found for other.

Romania’s CFR Marfa Sale No Longer Opportune Due To Losses – Transport Min

Privatization of Romanian rail freight company CFR Marfa is no longer suitable, as the company switched to losses, and the top priority is now redressing the state-owned company's financial situation, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Radu Berceanu said Thursday.

Romania’s CFR May Pay Debts To Pwr Suppliers If Sacking 6,000 People – Transp Min

The number of employees in Romanian railway company CFR has to be cut by 6,000 persons, from the current 28,000 people, and the respective salary funds should be redirected towards reimbursing the company’s debts to power suppliers, Transport Minister Radu Berceanu said Thursday.

Romanian Double Homicide Suspect Claims Innocence

One of the suspects in the double homicide case in central Romanian city Brasov, Serghei Gorbunov, told media Thursday, in the Aiud Penitentiary, that he is innocent, reiterating the statement that during the attack he was in the gym, training.

Romanian Rock Band Iris Frontman Needs Liver Transplant

Cristi Minculescu, the lead singer of Romanian rock band Iris, is suffering from polycystic liver and kidney disease and needs a liver transplant, and his wife is a potential donor.

Romanian Sheep Breeders, Vet Authorities To Start Negotiations Monday

Representatives of Romanian sheep and goat breeders and officials of the sanitary veterinary authority ANSVSA on Thursday agreed to start talks on Monday with respect to the laws regarding hygienic norms for food produced by shepherds.

EC Report: Romania’s Pace Of Progress Has Not Been Maintained

The European Commission said in the report on Romania’s justice system, presented Thursday, that the pace of progress has not been maintained and suggested that the Romanian authorities regain momentum on judicial reform and the fight against corruption.

EC Report: Romania Must Prove Efficiency By Speeding Up Treatment Of High-Level Corruption Cases

The European Commission’s report on Romania’s justice system, presented Thursday, notes that it will be crucial for Romania to achieve significant and irreversible progress by summer and the country must speed up its treatment of high-level corruption cases.

EC Report: Romanian Anticorruption Dept Continues Positive Track

The European Commission’s report on Romania’s justice system, presented Thursday, states that the country’s Anticorruption Department DNA continues to show a stable and positive track record for prosecuting cases of high-level corruption.

Romanian Tourism Min Holds Auction For National Brand

Romanian tourism minister Elena Udrea announced Thursday she wants the auction for Romania’s national tourism brand to be international, and it will be organized as soon as the budget is approved.