August 26, 2017 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 26.08.2017, 19:16
Budget bill — Romania’s state budget bill could be sent to Parliament in early October, the PM Mihai Tudose announced. He discussed the issue with the leaders of the government coalition, Social Democrat Liviu Dragnea and Liberal Democrat Călin Popescu-Tăriceanu, who are the presidents of Parliament’s two chambers. PM Tudose pointed out that, despite the favorable economic context, the Parliament should draft a package of laws which, together with the budget law, should ensure economic stability. In this regard he mentioned the unitary pay law for civil servants, decreasing the income tax from 16% to 10% and diminishing the amount of social contributions.
Justice — The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader announced he would analyze the opinions expressed in the public space regarding the proposals to change the justice laws. He said he wanted a large-scale debate ahead of passing these laws. Harshly criticized by the opposition, the press and civil society, the draft law stipulates, among other things, that the president will no longer appoint the heads of the National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), that the Judicial Inspectorate will be subordinated to the Justice Ministry and seniority will be increased for the promotion of magistrates.
Tourism bill — All hotels and guesthouses in Romania might be obliged to introduce their customers’ personal data into a new electronic database. The provision is included in the tourism bill that has been issued for public debate by the Tourism Ministry. Besides personal data of Romanian and foreign tourists, hoteliers will also have to introduce information on the manner the tourists paid their trip and from what travel agency they bought their trip. According to the tourism ministry officials, they will be able to know exactly the occupancy rate in hotels and guesthouses as well as their takings. This will prevent tax evasion, a frequent phenomenon in the Romanian tourism industry.
Missile tests — On Friday night, North Korea tested 3 short-range missiles which were launched in the context of South Korea and the US carrying out joint military drills described by the communist regime in Pyongyang as war preparations. The US army said that all 3 North Korean tests failed: the first missile exploded shortly after being launched, while the other 2 experienced problems during the flight. The US Pacific Command gave assurances that neither the Guam navy base nor the American continent were under threat. The launches took place less than a month after Pyongyang had tested an intercontinental missile with a 10 thousand kilometer range which could reach the US’s territory.
Tennis — World’s no. 2 tennis player, Simona Halep, will take on the famous Russian player Maria Sharapova in the first round of the US Open, the year’s last Grand Slam tournament, to start Monday at Flushing Meadows, in New York. Halep, second seeded, played a semifinal in New York in 2015 and in 2016 she did not pass the quarterfinals. Sharapova, who started playing again in April, after a ban for doping, won the U.S. Open title in 2006 and she was granted a wild-card invitation for this year’s U.S. Open. After the drawing of lots, Romanian Monica Niculescu (58 WTA) will play in the first round against cu Kristina Mladenovic (14 WTA).Ana Bogdan (127 WTA) will take on the American Taylor Townsend (21 years old, 119 WTA), also the beneficiary of a wild-card. Sorana Cîrstea (53 WTA) will play against the Dutch Lesley Kerkhove (170 WTA). Irina Begu (57 WTA) will play against, Katerina Kozlova (115 WTA), from Ukraine. Romanca Mihaela Buzărnescu (133 WTA), who is for the first time on the main table of a grand slam tournament, will take on the Danish player Caroline Wozniacki (5 WTA). In the men’s competition, Marius Copil (world’s no.88 player), who is also for the first time in the main table of the U.S. Open will take on the French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12 ATP). (translation by L. Simion)
