February 3, 2014 UPDATE
A roundup of news from Romania
România Internațional, 03.02.2014, 12:47
The Romanian PM Victor Ponta met on Monday with the joint IMF, EC and WB delegation that came to Bucharest to assess the standby agreement concluded with Romania last year. The talks focused on the economic reform priorities and the legislative framework with an impact on the economy. The PM said that the 7-eurocent excise duty on petrol and diesel oil would be introduced as of April but it would not be included in the agreement with the IMF. He also announced a fiscal aid scheme for the population with under-average incomes and bank loans, which could lead to the restructuring of loans for around 900 thousand Romanians. They would thus benefit from a cut in bank loan installments by up to 4 billion lei. The President Traian Basescu refused to sign the latest memorandum concluded at the end of last year, opposing the introduction of the 7-eurocent excise duty on fuels.
In Bucharest, senators and deputies are back to work for the first time this year. The priority of the ruling Social Liberal Union is amending the Constitution. They plan to call a vote on that in April. The Liberal Democrats, in opposition, said they would resort to every means at their disposal to prevent that move. Another priority for the ruling coalition are a revamped mining law, while the Liberal Democrats are considering initiatives meant to reduce taxation.
The Romanian foreign minister Titus Corlatean is paying a two day visit to Slovakia. He will be holding talks with PM Robert Fico and Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajčák, alongside other officials in Bratislava. The agenda of talks includes enhanced bilateral dialog and improved economic exchanges, in addition to expanding the EU and the Eastern Partnership, with emphasis on the Republic of Moldova. Additional topics are the EU strategy for the Danube and energy security. Minister Corlatean will also be attending alongside his Slovakian counterpart the opening of two honorary Romanian consulates in Banska Bystrica and Stara Lubovna.
Romania has made anticorruption reforms in the past years but the result has proved unstable and slightly reversible — writes the first anticorruption report regarding the 28 EU members, published Monday by the European Commission. The report recommends Romania to provide all necessary guarantees for protecting justice independence and continuing unbiased investigations into high-level corruption cases, including cases that involve appointed or elected officials. According to the report, 93% of Romanians believe corruption is widespread in their country. Also 25% of Romanians say they have been asked or expected to give bribe in the past year, which is way above the European average of 4%.
Romania’s Olympic team made up of 24 members left on Sunday for Sochi, Russia, to attend the 22nd Winter Olympics, scheduled for February 7th to 23rd. The 24 athletes will compete in 8 disciplines- alpine skiing, cross country skiing, biathlon, ski jumping, figure skating, bobsleigh, luge and skeleton. According to Ioan Dobrescu, the head of the Romanian Olympic Committee, any ranking in the first 10 places for a Romanian athlete would be considered equivalent to a medal, while any ranking in the first 20 places would be deemed a special performance. Romania has taken part in all editions of the Winter Olympics, except for those in 1924 and 1960. In 1968, in Grenoble, France, Romania got its only medal in the history of its participation, when it clinched the bronze medal in the two man bobsleigh event.
