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Developer Liebrecht & wooD Defers Romanian Outlet Center Opening By 1 Wk

Belgian real estate developer Liebrecht & wooD postponed by one week the opening of the first outlet center in Romania, Fashion House Outlet Centre, which was initially scheduled to open on November 26, the company stated Tuesday.

Romanian President Says Steel Mill Mechel Won’t Lay Off Employees

Steel mill Mechel Targoviste, southern Romania, will not lay off employees, although the situation at the plant is not really “a fortunate one”, President Traian Basescu said Tuesday.

Romanian Liberals 100 Members Short Over Alleged ‘Groups Of Interests’

The liberals’ county branch in Brasov, central Romania, is missing 100 members as of Tuesday following their en-bloc resignation due to certain “groups of interests that run the local branch.”

Cases Of Domestic Violence Against Women Up 25% This Yr In Romania

Romania sees 25% more cases of women who were victims of domestic violence in the first nine months of the year, compared to the number reported in 2007, Mihaela Mostavi, head of the National Agency for Family Protection, said Tuesday, at the start of a campaign against domestic violence.

Lukoil Romania Cut Gas, Diesel Oil Pump Prices By RON0.09, RON0.06 Per Liter

Lukoil Romania, a unit of Russian oil company Lukoil Holdings, cut Tuesday its gasoline and diesel oil pump prices by 0.09 lei (EUR1=RON3.7933) and RON0.06 per liter, respectively, and kept the liquefied petroleum gas price unchanged, the company said in a statement.

Romanian PM Assures Budget Can Sustain Pension Payments This Year And The Next

Romania’s state pension fund has enough money to ensure pension payments this year and the next, Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu said during the Cabinet meeting Tuesday, after President Traian Basescu said Monday evening on television that the fund is “drained”.

Romanian Govt Approves 4th Budget Revision This Yr – Sources

Romania's Government approved Tuesday this year's fourth state budget revision, government sources told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian President Awards Outgoing U.S. Ambassador With High Romanain Order

Romanian President Traian Basescu on Tuesday decorated outgoing United States Ambassador Nicholas Taubman with the Order of the Star of Romania in a ceremony held at the Cotroceni Palace and thanked him for his “close and honest” observation of Romanian realities.

Romanian Car Mkr Dacia To Decide On Temporary Personnel Cut Early-Dec

Romanian carmaker Dacia will decide early-December whether or not to renew the temporary labor contracts of 600 employees, due to expire on December 31, Dacia's spokesman Silviu Sepciu told MEDIAFAX on Tuesday.

Romania ’08 Wine Sales Seen Up 11% YY, To EUR500M – Assoc

Romanian wine sales are seen up 11% to around EUR500 million in 2008, from EUR450 million a year ago, the general manager of the Vineyard and Wine Employers’ Association PNVV, Ovidiu Gheorghe, said Tuesday at Romania Retail Forum 2008 organized by MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Prosecutor Arrested In Graft File In SW Romania

Romanian prosecutor Viorel Vasile, head of the criminal investigations department with the Caras Severin Court, southwestern Romania, was placed under arrest Tuesday by the Timisoara Court of Appeals magistrates on charges of bribery.

Romanian Protan Urges Court To Suspend Decision Halting Its Ops

The Bucharest court tried Tuesday the appeal filed by Romanian non-hazardous waste collector SC Protan SA against the decision of the Bucharest Regional Agency for Environmental Protection to suspend the company’s license for 30 days.

Romanian Consumers To Buy Cheaper Products, Due To Fincl Crisis – GEA

Romanian consumers will focus on cheaper products and a cut in consumption is also possible, following the recent financial turmoil, Liviu Voinea, the executive manager of the Group of Applied Economics, or GEA, said Tuesday.

Bucharest Cabbies Scrap Fare Hike Plans On Lower Business

Cab drivers in Romania’s capital city Bucharest are having second thoughts about the fare increases they had planned for the end of the year after their business saw 10 to 15% fewer orders in the past two months.

Romania Pres Says Recent Visits To Large Cos Not Related To Any Electoral Campaign

Romanian President Traian Basescu told a press conference Monday that his recent visits to large companies were not part of any electoral campaign whatsoever, stressing he just could not sit back and relax in his office, waiting to hear what journalists and politicians say in the fallout of the economic crisis.

Romanian Pres: Moody’s Evaluation Is Accurate

Romania’s president Traian Basescu said Monday that he sees the Moody's Investors Service forecast that Romania might enter in recession in 2009 as “the most accurate prediction of a rating agency”, underlinining that Moody’s “only warned, and not revised downwards the rating of our country”.

Romanian Tourists Still Missing, Rescuers To Resume Searches Tuesday

Rescue mountaineers were unable to locate two tourists who went missing Saturday on Bucegi mountain, central Romania, and said will suspend searches until tomorrow morning.

Romanian Govt Cuts RON2B From ’08 Budget Exp, Redirects Funds To Pensions, Aids

The Romanian Government will cut more than 2 billion lei (EUR1=RON 3.7985) from 2008's budget expenses of 18 ministries and public institutions, and the funds will be mainly redirected to the Labor Ministry for pensions and state aids, sources told MEDIAFAX Monday.

Romania’s Fin Min, EIB Ink EUR1B Loan Deal

Romania’s Finance Ministry signed Monday a loan agreement with the European Investment Bank, or EIB, worth EUR1 billion, for financing transports, environment and economic competitiveness projects.

Romania Transp Min To Handle Construction Of Bucharest-Danube Canal

Romania’s Transportation Ministry on Monday said it took over from the country’s Water Board the construction of a canal to link capital Bucharest to Danube River.

Romania’s Petrom Cuts Gasoline, Diesel, LPG Prices

Romania’s largest oil company Petrom SA (SNP.RO) cut Monday gasoline reference prices by 0.09 lei (EUR1=RON3.7985) per liter, diesel oil prices by RON0.06, while the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was cut by RON0.46, at RON1.99, the company said in a statement.

Arpechim: Romania’s Oltchim Might Take Over Part Of Refinery’s Employees

The management of Romanian refinery Arpechim, owned by the country's largest oil company Petrom (SNP.RO), told Monday the employees who protested in front of Petrom’s headquarters that it began talks with chemical producer Oltchim (OLT.RO) for the sale of Arpechim’s petrochemical activity.

Pwr Plant Turceni GM, Investigated For Abuse Of Office, Resigns

The general manager of Romanian state-run thermal power producer Turceni, Dumitru Cristea, investigated for abuse of office, resigned Monday.

Romanian Railway Unionists Postpone Protests

Romanian railway unionists affiliated to the Miscare-Comercial Federation on Monday postponed protests, following the commitment taken by the transport minister to approve orders regulating the periodical check-up of railway staff, and the government decree granting funds to infrastructure.

Mountain Rescuers Suspend Searches For Missing Tourists C. Romania

Rescuers said Sunday will suspend until tomorrow searches for two tourists stranded on Bucegi mountain, central Romania.

Romania Econ Growth Seen Below 4% In ‘09 From 8% In ’08 – Analysts

Romanian economic growth is seen below 4% in 2009, down more than half compared to the 8% growth estimated for 2008, analysts said.

9 Romanians Estranged In Libya After Italian Employer Steals Their Passports

Nine Romanian workers have been abandoned on Libyan territory, after an Italian employer stole their passports, Romania’s Foreign Ministry said Saturday.

Romanian Police, Public Servants Press For Higher Wages, Increased Staff

More than 200 unionists in law enforcement and public servants sectors staged an hour and a half protest in Bucharest’s Constitution Square on Saturday, pressing for higher salaries and increased personnel.

Romania’s ELCEN Might Cut Bucharest Heat Supply In ’08-’09 Winter On Gas Debts

Romanian power producer Electrocentrale Bucuresti ELCEN said Friday that it might deliver lower thermal energy to capital city Bucharest's population, after gas supplier WIEE warned the company that its high debts would lead to a cease in the gas supply.

Romanian President Upbeat On Ability To Overcome Economic Difficulties

Romanian President Traian Basescu on Friday said the country can overcome the economic downturn, mentioning the media depicts a false “apocalypse” about job losses.

Romanian PM: Main Concern Is Securing Jobs, Not The Budget Def

Romania’s Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said Friday that his main concern is to secure people’s jobs and only afterwards to keep the country’s budget deficit within assigned limits.

Romanian Rompetrol Petrochemicals Cuts Prod, Personnel

Rompetrol Petrochemicals, the petrochemistry arm of Romania’s second-largest oil company Rompetrol Group NV, will cut its polymer production by 55% and temporarily lay off 24% of its production and maintenance personnel for a two months period, due to the international financial crisis.

Nokia’s Romanian Plant To Cut Costs, Keep Up Production As Planned – Manager

The Romanian plant of Finnish mobile giant Nokia will resort to cost cuts like any other company trying to overcome the economic crisis, but the production will go on as planned in the next quarter, the company’s manager John Guerry said at the end of his meeting with president Traian Basescu.

Nokia’s Romanian Plant Unaffected By World Crisis, Jobs Are Safe – President

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Friday, after talks with management of the Romanian plant of Finnish mobile giant Nokia, that the unit isn’t affected by the international financial crisis and people’s jobs are safe.

Products In Romanian Supermarkets Are 85% Romanian – President

Despite contrary statements, 85% of the products sold in Romanian supermarkets are made in Romania, president Traian Basescu said Friday.

Upetrom 1 Mai Co Faces Unskilled Young Workforce Issue – Romania’s Pres

Romanian president Traian Basescu said Friday, after visiting the factory, that the country’s oilfield equipment manufacturer Upetrom 1 Mai Ploiesti faces the problem of “very low skilled” young workforce.

Curr Acct Def „Not A Tragedy”, To Correct By Lower Consumption – Romanian PM

A high current account deficit should not be seen as a tragedy, as an emerging economy like Romania needs investments for upgrades, and the gap will be reduced due to a consumption slowdown in the following period, Romanian Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu said Friday.

Romania’s Rompetrol To Cut Diesel Oil, Gas Pump Prices By RON0.03 Per Liter

Romania’s second-largest oil company Rompetrol Group NV, owned by Kazakhstan's KazMunaiGaz, will cut Monday its diesel oil and gas pump prices by 0.03 lei (EUR1= RON3.8258) per liter, the company said in a statement.

Romanian Authorities Cancel Auction To Sell Offices In Bucharest Free Press House

Romania’s state protocol authority, or RA-APPS, said Friday it cancelled the public auctions to sell spaces in the Free Press House in Bucharest scheduled for November 26-28.

Bucharest District 4 Mayor Questioned In Corruption Scandal

Bucharest District 4 mayor Cristian Popescu came Friday morning to the National Anticorruption Department to offer details in a case investigated by anticorruption prosecutors.