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Romanian Defense Min To Organize National Day Ceremony

The Romanian Ministry of Defense will organize ceremonies celebrating the National Day of Romania in Bucharest as well as Alba Iulia. The ceremonies will involve 2,000 soldiers from the ministries of defense and interior, the Romanian Intelligence Service and the Protection and Guard Service.

Romania’s Capital City Bucharest Makes Way Into Second Life On Nov 29

Virtual Bucharest, the 3D replication of the real center of Romania’s capital city Bucharest, will open for public Saturday on the 3D virtual platform Second Life following an annual investment of EUR30,000, a press release read.

Two Police Officers Arrested After Corruption Sting Operation, Car Chase

Two police officers from Bucharest Police Precinct 13 were detained Thursday night, when, driving a police cruiser, they were caught after a car chase in which they tried to ram the vehicles of anticorruption officers blocking their path.

EC Analyzes Romania’s Car Tax Plans, Promises Answer As Soon As Possible

The European Commission confirmed it received the Romanian government’s letter regarding plans to lift its car tax and will provide an answer as soon as possible, Maria Assimakopoulou, spokesperson for European Commissioner for Taxation and Customs Union Laszlo Kovacs, told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Romanian ArcelorMittal Galati Mulls Voluntary Layoffs

Romanian steel plant ArcelorMittal Galati is planning a new series of voluntary layoffs in the upcoming period, a senior manager within the company said Friday.

Romanian Mountain Rescuers Still Search For Two Tourists Missing Since Saturday

Romanian mountain rescuers continue searches Friday, for the seventh day running, for two tourists reported missing Saturday on Bucegi mountain, central Romania, and said they received threats and were offended by friends of the tourists’ families.

Banks Refuse To Give Credits On Lack Of Long-Term Funds – Romanian Ctrl Bker

Romanian banks have lots of requests, but they don’t want to grant loans, due to lack of long-term financing, although they argue the new household lending rules limit their activity, the central bank's Supervision Department director Nicolae Cinteza said Friday.

Ctrl Bk May Authorize New Bk With Romanian Cap

The National Bank of Romania, or BNR, is currently analyzing the authorization of a new bank, with Romanian private capital, the central bank’s Supervision Department director Nicolae Cinteza said Friday.

Romanian Govt Lowers No Of Layoffs At Forestry Auth, Extends Restructuring Process

The number of employees to be laid off by Romania’s forestry authority following property retrocession will be lowered to 4,240 people from the initial estimate of 7,048, and the authority’s restructuring process will be extended two years, until end 2010, according to a draft government decision.

Textile Factory In Poor Romanian Town To Lay Off Nearly 100 People

A textile factory in Zlatna, Alba county, central Romania, will lay off nearly 100 employees as of Dec 19, citing lack of demand.

Romania Azomures Sends 2,000 Staff On Temp Unemployment During Prod Halt

Romania’s chemical fertilizers maker Azomures (AZO.RO) on Friday said will shut down production until mid January on lack of orders and stock pileups, with some 2,000 workers to go on temporary unemployment as of December 1.

Romanian Govt Drafted Decree Lifting Tax On New Cars As Of Dec 15 Pending EC Reply

Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu confirmed Friday that the government plans to put off by two weeks, until Dec 15, the date when the car tax exemption on new cars becomes effective, adding the date could be moved up if the European Commission sends a reply by mid-December.

Romanian President Calls For High Turnout At Parliamentary Elections

Romanian President Traian Basescu on Thursday urged the citizens to cast their vote at the parliamentary polls due November 30 so that the future lawmakers will represent their will and be able to take steps to counter the economic crisis.

Romanian Pres See Econ Growth To 3-4.5% In ’09

Romania’s economic growth will reach 3-4.5% in 2009 and the country will “look much better” compared to other states affected by the economic downturn, President Traian Basescu said Thursday.

Romanian Transilvania Constructii Mulls Taking EUR16M Loan, Sacking 180 Employees

Romanian construction company Transilvania Constructii (COTR.RO) plans to take some loans of maximum EUR16 million and to sack almost 180 employees in the first two months of 2009, the company announced Thursday.

Romanian Bk Assoc Head: Banks Want Rate Subsidies For SME Lending

The bankers have proposed the Economy and Finance Ministry to subsidize the interest rates paid for loans taken by the small and medium-size companies, which might be strongly affected by the economic crisis, Romanian Banks’ Association president Radu Ghetea said Thursday.

Inmates Prepare Riots In 12 Romanian Penitentiaries – Official

Prisoners in 12 Romanian penitentiaries are reportedly preparing a riot to press for possible collective pardons, general manager of National Penitentiaries Administration (ANP), Ioan Bala said Thursday.

Romanian Telecom Ops To Work With Authorities, Supply Communications Data

Romanian electronic communications companies are obligated to store, over six months, certain data regarding telephone calls, written messages or e-mails, which could be accessed by the Ministry of Interior, prosecutors, and intelligence structures, on request.

Romania’s CEC Needs Another RON900M Funds

Romanian state-owned lender CEC Bank needs another financing of 900 million lei (EUR1=RON3.8580), additionally to the similar amount already approved by the Government, CEC’s president Radu Gratian Ghetea said Thursday.

Romanian Economic Sentiment Falls To 91.4 Points In Nov

Romania’s economic sentiment fell 12.3 points to 91.4 in November, putting the country third in the EU-27 bloc, a monthly survey of the European Commission showed Thursday.

Romanian Azomures Lays Off 1,000 Employees

Approximately 1,000 employees of Romania’s chemical fertilizers maker Azomures (AZO.RO), or half of the employees, will be put on technical unemployment as of Monday, management sources said Thursday.

Romanian Transporters Request 3 Mo Road Toll Exemption

The Romanian Federation of Transporters (FORT) asked the Prime Minister to allow freight transporters not to pay the road toll, between December 1, 2008 and March 1, 2009, as 50% of transporters are on the brink of bankruptcy because of the economic crisis.

Romanian Developers Sell Unfinished Apartments To Lift Sales

Real estate developers began to sell new apartments without finishings in order to cut prices, and also offer free kitchen equipment and other discounts to boost the sales, according to real estate consulting agency EuroMetropola.

British Motörhead To Rock Bucharest At B’estfest 2009

British heavy-metal band Motörhead will perform at the B'estfest festival organized in July 2009 in Romania’s capital city Bucharest, event organizers, Emagi!c Entertainment, said Thursday.

Romanians In Mumbai Are Few, At Safe Distance From Attacks – Foreign Ministry

There are very few Romanians in Mumbai, India, and they are at a safe distance from the scene of terrorist attacks, Cosmin Boiangiu, spokesman for the Romanmain Foreign Affairs Ministry, told MEDIAFAX Thursday.

ING Bank Launched Pilot Program For Mobile Payment Service In Romania

ING Bank and MasterCard launched a mobile phone payment service, ING Mobile Payments, in Romania, Albert Roggemans, executive manager of ING Retail Romania, said Wednesday.

Romanian Miners Resume Activity In Petrila, 2 Weeks After Mine Blasts Killed 13 People

Miners in Petrila, western Romania, resumed normal underground work schedule Thursday morning, two weeks after powerful blasts killed 13 people and injured other 14.

Romanian Forestry Auth To Cut Down Over 100,000 Christmas Tress This Year

Romania’s national forestry authority Romsilva will cut down and sell 104,400 Christmas tress this year, the authority said Thursday.

Romania’s Pwr Plant Turceni Ex-GM Arrested For Abuse Of Office

Former general manager of Romanian state-run thermal power producer Turceni, Dumitru Cristea, was preventively arrested on Wednesday evening for 29 days, for abuse of office, according to a mandate issued by the courthouse in the country’s southern town of Targu Jiu.

Romania’s Forestry Fund Plots May Be Used In Resource Exploitations

Plots of Romania’s national forestry fund may be used for the exploitation of crude oil and natural gas resources and the construction of communication and potable water networks, according to an emergency ordinance approved Tuesday by the Government.

Romania’s Rompetrol To Cut Diesel Oil Pump Prices By RON0.05 Per Liter

Romania’s second-largest oil company Rompetrol Group NV, owned by Kazakhstan's KazMunaiGaz, will cut Thursday its diesel oil pump prices by 0.05 lei (EUR1=RON 3.8131) per liter, the company said in a statement.

Dacia Sandero Achieves 3 Stars In Euro NCAP Crash Tests

Renault’s Romanian make Dacia Sandero was awarded three stars out of five for adult occupant protection at the latest Euro NCAP safety tests, the European organization said Wednesday.

Nearly 130,000 Romanians To Lose Jobs In Spain By End ’08 – Report

Specialists estimate 3 million people will lose their jobs in Spain by the end of the year, of whom 130,000 are Romanians, according to a report on Romanian migration Spanish Agency for Governmental Strategies released Wednesday.

Romanian Insurance Regulator Bans Activities Of Unita Vienna Insurance Group

Romania’s Insurance Surveillance Commission Tuesday decided to temporarily ban the insurance and /or reinsurance activities of Unita Vienna Insurance Group, as the new shareholders of the institution, two companies of the Uniqa Group, did not ask for the approval of the institution.

Court Suspends Penalties Against Romanian Waste Collector Protan

A Bucharest court on Wednesday decided to suspend the penalties against non-hazardous waste collector Protan SA (PRON.RO) levied by environment authorities, pending a final and binding ruling in the case.

Former Foreign Intelligence Colonel Claims Material Damages From Romanian President Basescu

Former foreign intelligence colonel Ionel Dragomir demands material damages of 100,000 lei (EUR1=RON3.8131) within a trial in which he requires President Traian Basescu to state whether he, Dragomir, is the “colonel Dumitrescu” to whom the president referred in statements on crisis of the three Romanians kidnapped in Iraq in 2005.

Romanian Fashion Designers Auction Off Christmas Trees For Charity

Famous Romanian fashion designers, such as Irina Marinescu, Kinga Varga and Carla Szabo, will auction off 18 fir-trees within the 2008 Charity Gala of the eighth edition of the Christmas Tree Festival to be held on December 8.

Romania’s Transport Min Selects Winners Of RON2.3B Infrastructure Bids

Romania’s Transport Ministry announced Wednesday the winners of the bids organized to assign several infrastructure contracts totaling around 2.3 billion lei (EUR1=RON3.8131), VAT excluded.

Romanian Govt Granted Bucharest Mayoralty Ron35m To Pay Heat Subsidies – Mayor

Bucharest general mayor Sorin Oprescu said Wednesday morning that he received a notice from the government saying it gave the mayoralty 35 million lei (EUR1=RON3.8131) to cover heating subsidies.

Bucharest Family Doctors Advise Parents To Go In For Uterine Cancer Vaccine For Girls

Family doctors in Bucharest and Ilfov, southern Romania, recommend parents to allow the vaccination of their daughters against uterine cancer, as in Europe and the United States of America 15 million women have been vaccinated and no side effects were reported.