July 31, 2022 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 31.07.2022, 20:00

TAXATION On 1 August, some of the
fiscal measures introduced recently by the coalition government made up of the
National Liberal Party, Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of
Ethnic Hungarians in Romania take effect. On Monday the tobacco excise duty is
to increase, as is the tax on gambling gains. Changes are also operated as
regards salaries in the construction industry, agriculture and foodstuffs, where
the ceiling for certain tax rebates will be lowered. Further changes to the
Fiscal Code will take effect early next year. For example, in the hospitality
industry VAT will be raised from 5 to 9%, while the VAT for non-alcoholic beer
and for sugary drinks will be raised to 19%. Sales of houses bigger than 120
sqm or for prices of over EUR 120,000 will also carry increased VAT. According
to government estimates, these changes will bring the state budget an
additional EUR 243 million this year and some EUR 2.1 billion in 2023.

FESTIVAL Transylvania is a model of inter-ethnic harmony and
tolerance at European level, the PM Nicolae Ciuca said at the Haferland Week
Festival, devoted to the Saxon culture. The PM highlighted that Romania is a
democratic state, where diverging or even opposing views and ideas may be
expressed, but that these views must not become radical and any expression of
authoritarianism, extreme nationalism or populism must be prevented. Also
attending the Haferland Week, president Klaus Iohannis said it was very
important for each of us to be aware of the threat entailed by climate change,
and added that we have a responsibility towards protecting our planet and
resources. In this context, he emphasised, education remains the key to a
greener future and a sustainable society.

DIPLOMACY In the context of Romania’s strong show of solidarity
during this war in Ukraine, with our management of the over 1.75 million
Ukrainian refugees who have entered Romania since the start of the war, a
situation which we have managed successfully, I believe we can hope for
consistent and firm support from Germany for Romania’s Schengen accession as
soon as possible, the Romanian foreign minister Bogdan Aurescu said. This is
important among other things for the inter-human relations between Romania and
Germany, between the ethnic Germans in Romania and Germany and conversely,
between the Romanian community in Germany and Romania, Aurescu emphasised upon
opening on Sunday the Romanian-German Bilateral Cooperation Forum, on the
sidelines of the 10th edition of the ‘Haferland Week’ cultural
festival in Romania.

CENSUS Sunday was the
last day of the official population and housing census in Romania, after
several extensions. According to the National statistics Institute, over 90% of
the process had been completed by early this week. The purpose of the census was
to establish the number of people living on Romanian territory, as well as the
living standards in each locality. Based on the data collected, the
authorities will create public policies and earmark funding for each town or
village. At EU level, the number of people
living in Romania is a criterion in the distribution of EU funds. The census was
compulsory for all Romanian citizens.

COVID More than 4,000 new
SARS-CoV-2 infections out of over 13,000 tests, as well as 13 COVID-related
deaths were reported on Sunday in Romania, the authorities announced. The
number of COVID patients in hospitals is over 3,900, of whom more than 260 are
in intensive care. The authorities estimate that next week Romania could see
10,000 new cases per day. Although spreading very quickly, this variant of the virus causes less
severe forms of the disease.

UKRAINE The Romanian foreign ministry condemns the shelling of the
Olenivka prison and the killing of Ukrainian POWs, reads a message issued on
Sunday. These heinous crimes committed by Russia call for international
investigation and sanctioning. Condolences to the families and full support for
Ukraine, the foreign ministry’s Twitter post also reads. A prison in Olenivka was
attacked on Friday, with most of the 193 Ukrainian prisoners of war there
killed or wounded, according to the Russian defence ministry, which Saturday
released the names of 50 dead and 73 wounded. Russia claims the strike came
from a HIMARS system provided by the US to Ukraine, as Kyiv seeks to recover
the territories controlled by pro-Russian separatists in the east of the
country. Ukraine replied it would never attack civilian sites, especially one
housing its own people, and accused Russia of organising the attack in
retaliation against the Ukrainian nationalists among the prisoners brought
there from Mariupol several weeks ago. (AMP)