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Romanian Health Min Says Is Baffled By President’s Ignorance

18:22, 20 Sept. 2008
Romanian health minister Eugen Nicolaescu said in a press release Saturday that he regrets the head of state is using people’s pain to gain votes and is baffled that, after four years of office, the president has no idea what is going on in the country.

Italian Police Arrest Romanian Trying To Steal GPS Off Ambulance – Paper

16:27, 20 Sept. 2008
A Romanian national was arrested in a suburb in Rome, Italy, when he was caught trying to steal the GPS device of an ambulance which had been called for an emergency, Italian paper Il Messaggero reported in its online edition Saturday.

Romanian President Criticizes Management In Healthcare, Education

14:21, 20 Sept. 2008
Romanian president Traian Basescu criticized Saturday defective management in healthcare and education, saying the deplorable state of Romanian hospitals is hard to explain considering funds injected into healthcare have doubled since 2004.

Romania Still Has Restrictions On Minority Religious Groups – U.S. Religious Freedom Report

13:53, 20 Sept. 2008
While the Romanian Government generally respects in practice the right to freedom and religion provided by Constitution and law, the country has restrictions that adversely affect the rights of some religious groups, the U.S. Department of State said in its 2008 report on international religious freedom.

Drug Dealers Busted In Capital City Bucharest

20:00, 19 Sept. 2008
Over 20 people were placed under investigation for drug dealing and breach of ammunition regulations following homes searches in capital city Bucharest.

Romanian Govt Conveys Additional Info To EC On IT&C Auth Reorganization

19:06, 19 Sept. 2008
The newly established authority by reorganizing Romania's IT&C regulator ANRCTI is still subordinated to the government and keeps similar reports with other institutions, the Romanian government said Friday in response to the EC’s request for additional information on the matter.

Romanian Fin Min May Support The Bourse Through Fiscal Measures

18:30, 19 Sept. 2008
The Romanian Economy and Finance Minister Varujan Vosganian negotiates with stock market representatives the launch of a series of actions, including fiscal measures, to sustain the bourse.

Romanian Govt To Revise Budget Wednesday – Fin Min

17:20, 19 Sept. 2008
The Romanian Government will approve this year's third budget revision in the cabinet meeting Wednesday, increasing budget revenue by 6.4 billion lei (EUR=RON3.6480) and expenses by RON7B, Economy and Finance Minister Varujan Vosganian told MEDIAFAX Friday.

Romania Supplied 4 Helicopters To Côte D’Ivoire, Arms, Ammunition To Iraq – Foreign Ministry

16:58, 19 Sept. 2008
Romania exported four non-military helicopters to Côte D'Ivoire in 2003 and after 2005, while observing the law, Romania exported arms and ammunition to Iraqi government authorities, the Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry said Friday following an information request from MEDIAFAX.

Romanian Labor Min Officially Charged With Bribery

15:34, 19 Sept. 2008
Romanian labor minister Paul Pacuraru was officially charged with bribery Friday, and the minister went to the National Anticorruption Department to hear the charges brought against him, official sources told MEDIAFAX.

Romanian PM Appoints New IT&C Auth Head

13:55, 19 Sept. 2008
The Romanian National Communications Agency, founded Thursday by the Government through the reorganization of IT&C regulator ANRCTI, will be run by Dorin-Liviu Nistoran, former head of ANRCTI.

Romanian Govt Restructures IT&C Regulator Rather Than Have Exec Reinstated

10:24, 19 Sept. 2008
The Romanian Government on Thursday decided to reorganize the country’s IT&C regulator ANRCTI and changed its name into National Communications Agency, officials of the Ministry of Communications said.

Romanian Govt Oks Pension Hike As Of Oct 1 – Sources

18:46, 18 Sept. 2008
The Romanian Government decided Thursday to increase the value of the pension point by 20%, to 697.5 lei (EUR1=RON3.6897) from RON581.3 as of October 1, one month earlier than the initial date, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX.

Romania’s Budget Deficit At 2.4% After 3rd Budget Revision – Sources

15:21, 18 Sept. 2008
The Romanian Ministries of Agriculture, Transport, Justice, Defense, and Interior will get most of the funds in the government’s third budget revision this year, while the budget deficit will be at some 2.4% of the gross domestic product, ministerial sources said Thursday.

Romanian Govt Appeals Court’s Overturn In ANRCTI Case

15:18, 18 Sept. 2008
The Romanian government will appeal against a court’s ruling overturning its decision to dismiss Dan Georgescu from position of president of IT&C regulator ANRCTI, the Prime Minister’s adviser on legal matters, Tudor Chiuariu, said Thursday.

Romanian Ctrl Bk Official: Wage Hikes To Slow Over Next Yrs

14:16, 18 Sept. 2008
The wage hikes are seen slowing down in 2009, compared with this year and will be limited to single digit as of 2010, as Romanian productivity cannot support such growth, central bank adviser Lucian Croitoru said Thursday.

Bucharest Court Suspends Voiculescu vs CNSAS Trial Pending Constitutionality Verdict

14:11, 18 Sept. 2008
The Bucharest Court decided Thursday to suspend the trial where media mogul and politician Dan Voiculescu challenged a decision issued by the National College for the Study of Securitate Archives (CNSAS), which said he collaborated with the former Securitate.

Renault To Develop Its First Car Entirely In Romania By 2012

13:52, 18 Sept. 2008
The first car completely developed, from design to testing, by French carmaker Renault in Romania, will be completed in 2011 or 2012, executive vice president engineering and quality at Renault, Jean-Louis Ricaud, said Thursday

Renault’s RTR Starts Technical Center Construction Works S Romania

13:12, 18 Sept. 2008
Renault Technologie Roumanie (RTR), the Bucharest-based engineering facility of French carmaker Renault, started Thursday the construction works of a technical center in Dambovita county, southern Romania.

Demographics To Hinder Romania’s Long Term Economic Growth – Ctrl Bk Official

12:30, 18 Sept. 2008
Workforce migration and a low birth rate are demographics that will hinder Romania from sustaining long term economic growth, Romania’s central bank chief economist Valentin Lazea said Thursday.

Romanian Court Suspends PM’s Decision To Sack IT&C Regulator Head – Sources

11:54, 18 Sept. 2008
The Bucharest Court of Appeals decided to suspend the prime minister’s decisions to dismiss Dan Georgescu from they position of president of the Romanian IT&C regulator and the appointment of Liviu Nistoran in his place, people close to the matter told MEDIAFAX Thursday.

Romania Supplied Military Equipment To Côte d’Ivoire, Iraq – Amnesty International Report

17:23, 17 Sept. 2008
Romania supplied in the past years military equipment to Côte d'Ivoire and to Iraq, according to a report by Amnesty International which criticizes the global situation of ammunition trade.

National Lottery Stays Romania’s Most Valuable Brand In ’08, Worth EUR36M

16:38, 17 Sept. 2008
Romania’s national lottery ‘Loteria Romana’ kept its position in 2008 as the country’s most valuable brand, estimated at EUR36 million, EUR1 million higher than last year, according to a ranking by the Vienna-based European Brand Institute.

Piracy Accounts For 68% Of Software Used In Romania – Report

16:26, 17 Sept. 2008
The software piracy ratio reached 68% in Romania, according to data presented Wednesday in a press conference held by the Romanian General Police Inspectorate.

French Ubisoft Opens Second Unit In Romania

16:14, 17 Sept. 2008
French video game producer, publisher and distributor Ubisoft opened its second creation studio in Romania, in the southern city of Craiova, whose main purpose is the development of new games.

EIU: Romania Highly Vulnerable To Intl Turmoil Due To High Curr Acct Gap

15:56, 17 Sept. 2008
Romania is one of the countries most vulnerable to the financial turbulence, as its current account deficit is likely to remain above 10% until 2013, the Economist Intelligence Unit, or EIU, said in a report.

Romanian PM Presents ’05 – ’08 Governing Report

15:18, 17 Sept. 2008
The Government, throughout its mandate, said the best form of social security is a job, and offered certainties, not shallow promises, said Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu upon presenting the Government report.

Romanian Senate Rejects High School PC Project

13:55, 17 Sept. 2008
The Romanian Senate Wednesday rejected 52 to 14 votes and four abstentions the draft law approving Government Emergency Ordinance no. 87/2008, offering desktop computers to ninth and tenth graders, to be used at home.

Romanian Future Govt Should Avoid Econ Growth Acceleration–Ctrl Bker

13:28, 17 Sept. 2008
Romanian economy is expected to register a significant advance until entering euro zone, so future governments should avoid pressing the gas pedal for the country’s economic growth, Romanian central bank Governor Mugur Isarescu said in a press statement Wednesday.

Romania To Transfer RON1,370M From State Budget To Hike Pensions As Of Oct 1 – Labor Min

12:44, 17 Sept. 2008
Romania will transfer 1,370 million lei (EUR1=RON3.6494) from the state budget to the pension budget, as stipulated in the state budget law adopted in 2007, in order to increase pensions as of October 1, labor minister Paul Pacauraru told MEDIAFAX Wednesday.

Pwr Prices For Household Users In Low-Consumption Category Up 7.9% In 1H

11:02, 17 Sept. 2008
The price of electricity for household end users in the low-consumption category were up 7.95% in the first half of 2008, while for those in the high consumption category, prices were down 0.5%, compared with the second half of 2007, the National Statistical Institute, or INS, said Wednesday.

Analysts: International Financial Crisis May Affect Romania

19:35, 16 Sept. 2008
The international financial crisis might have an indirect effect upon Romanian economy, as this could reduce capital flows and investors’ appetite for risk, analysts said.

Romania Senate: Magistrates To Appoint Chief Prosecutors, Not President

19:30, 16 Sept. 2008
Romanian Senate on Tuesday approved an amendment to Law 303/2004, which stipulates chief prosecutors of national departments fighting corruption and organized crime, along with their deputies are to be appointed by the High Council of Magistrates, not the head of state.

Romanian PM Appoints Ex Democrat Head As High Govt Rep

19:14, 16 Sept. 2008
Former democrat leader Petre Roman was appointed, through a decision of Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu, as High Representatie of the Government for Romanians abroad, within the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, with the position of state adviser.

Romania Might Attract Up To EUR15B Investments In Energy Sector By 2012

14:46, 16 Sept. 2008
Romania might attract investments worth EUR12-15 billion between 2009-2012 in the energy sector, Romania’s Economy and Finance Minister Varujan Vosganian said Tuesday at a press conference.

New Car Registrations In Romania Dn 3.5% In First 8 Mos, To 201,870 Units- ACEA

11:42, 16 Sept. 2008
New car registrations in Romania fell by 3.5%, to 201,870 units in the first eight months of the year, compared with the same period a year ago, which places the country 11th among European Union states, according to data offered by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, or ACEA.

Gas Prices To Hike In Oct On Higher Imported Russian Gas Price – Distrigaz Sud

11:34, 16 Sept. 2008
The price of natural gas will hike in October on the backdrop of an expected price increase of the gas imported from Russia, an official of gas distributor Distrigaz Sud said Tuesday.

Romania Climbs One Spot In ’08 IT Competitiveness Hierarchy – EIU Study

11:12, 16 Sept. 2008
Romania ranked 39 out of 64 countries included in the IT competitiveness hierarchy drawn up by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), one position higher than in 2007, but still behind most countries that joined the European Union in 2004 and 2007.

Romania’s BCR Sells 2 Units To Austria’s VIG For EUR244M

10:16, 16 Sept. 2008
Banca Comerciala Romana, or BCR, the Romanian unit of Austrian Erste Bank, will sell its insurance companies BCR Asigurari and BCR Asigurari de Viata to Vienna Insurance Group, or VIG, in a deal worth some EUR244 million, BCR said in a press release Tuesday.

EC Recommends Romania Tightens Fiscal Policy, Reduces Bureaucracy

19:47, 15 Sept. 2008
The European Commission recommended Romania should tighten its fiscal policy and reduce bureaucracy, European Commissioner for Multilingualism Leonard Orban said Monday.