October 23, 2017 UPDATE
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Newsroom, 23.10.2017, 19:56
TENNIS The world’s number one tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep, on Monday secured a two-set win against WTA no.9, Caroline Garcia of France in the first game of the red group of the WTA Finals in Singapore. In the group’s second fixture, Danish Caroline Wozniacki has defeated Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, 6-2, 6-0. On Sunday, in the competition’s first day, Spanish Garbine Muguruza outperformed Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, 6-3, 6-4, while Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic obtained a clear win, 6-2, 6-2, against US challenger Venus Williams. Simona has participated in the Singapore tournament four times, and played the finals at her first participation in 2014.
VAT Romania’s Finance Minister Ionut Misa on Monday participated in ‘the Government Hour’ hosted by the Parliament in Bucharest in order to give explanations on the implementation and collection of the Split VAT. He explained that with the introduction of the new system, taxpayers would be made equal through eliminating unfair competition and the advantages some may have by the inappropriate use of VAT money. The measure has already been implemented following a government emergency ordinance. Optional at present, the measure is to become compulsory for all companies beginning January 1st. The opposition liberals have called on the government to cancel the ordinance, which, they say, will upset the economic environment. The ruling coalition wants to amend the law, so that the spaced-out VAT payment can become compulsory only in the case of bad payers and insolvent companies. The Split VAT has also attracted a lot of heat from companies who say it will block the economy.
NOTIFICATION The Romanian Senate Speaker, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, on Monday notified the Constitutional Court over a possible conflict between the Executive and the Public Ministry on government decisions. The notification comes after an investigation, anti-corruption prosecutors launched against two former members of the present government, Sevil Shhaideh, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Regional Development and Rovana Plumb, former European Funds Minister. The two government officials stepped down two weeks ago amid graft allegations. According to prosecutors, through government ordinances back in 2013, two state-owned Danube regions started being illegally administered by County Council of Teleorman, a county in southern Romania. At that time, Shhaideh was state secretary at the Regional Development Ministry and Plumb was Environment Minister.
VACCINATION The Senate in Bucharest on Monday passed the Vaccination Law, aimed at regulating people’s immunization for the prevention and spreading of contagious diseases. Under the law, vaccination becomes compulsory for children with the vaccines included in the National Vaccination Timetable and also for the entire population in special situations. The draft sent by the government, stipulated that the law would come into effect on January 1st 2018, but the Senate’s Health Committee has eliminated that provision. The project is to be submitted to the Chamber of Deputies for approval.
