TAXES Fresh talks are scheduled today in
\nthe Cabinet on tax-related measures designed to rebalance the state budget.
\nThe Social Democratic PM Marcel Ciolacu is to have meetings with the finance
\nminister Marcel Bolo\u0219, and a report is expected from the national tax agency
\nwith respect to revenue collection. The ruling coalition is considering tax
\nincreases and the elimination of certain tax facilities, as well as the
\ncancelling of 200,000 public sector positions that are currently vacant and a
\nreduction of expenditure in ministries. According to the PM, the proposed
\nmeasures will be implemented in 3 stages, beginning on September 1, October 1 and
\nJanuary 1, 2024.<\/p>\n
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VEHICLES The local segment of the car
\nscrapping programme Rabla\u02ee started today, in an effort by the Romanian
\nauthorities to get heavily polluting vehicles out of circulation. Apart from
\nthe funds provided by the Environment Ministry, local authorities contribute
\n20% of the vouchers granted to citizens who de-register cars older than 15
\nyears. In a first stage in April, town halls enrolled in this programme, and as
\nof today citizens may apply for the funds available in the programme, no later
\nthan the end of August. The Environment Ministry earmarked some EUR 50 mln for
\nthis programme, and estimates around 100,000 polluting cars will be scrapped. <\/p>\n
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\n
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CONCERT The Bucharest National Opera
\norchestra Sunday night performed for the first time at the Musikverein hall in
\nVienna, which hosts the traditional New Year’s concert in the Austrian capital
\ncity. The concert was a tribute to the Romanian composer Ciprian
\nPorumbescu, as the year 2023 was declared the year of Ciprian Porumbescu, to
\nmark 170 years since the birth and 140 years since the death of the famous
\ncomposer. The programme consisted exclusively of works by Ciprian Porumbescu:
\nNew Moon, the first Romanian operetta, the Ballad, the
\nRomanian Rhapsody. The soloists, choir and orchestra of the
\nNational Opera House in Bucharest were conducted by Daniel Jinga, with special
\nguests including maestro Gheorghe Zamfir and the soloist Maria Coman. <\/p>\n
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TRAINING The training ship Mircea has today
\nreturned to the military port of Constan\u0163a, after a 28-day training session in
\nthe Mediterranean. On board were 64 sophomore students with the Mircea cel
\nB\u0103tr\u00e2n Naval Academy, as well as 10 exchange students from partner
\nacademies in Bulgaria, Poland, Turkey, Latvia, Italy and Spain. The training
\nship had stopovers in the ports of Piraeus in Greece, Taranto in Italy and Izmir
\nin Turkey, and completed an over 2,200 mile journey.<\/p>\n
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\n
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UKRAINE Ukraine has today confirmed that
\nSaudi Arabia will host a peace summit aimed, according to Kyiv, at restoring
\npeace in line with the Ukrainian formula, EFE reports. According to the head
\nof Ukraine’s presidential office Andriy Yermak, apart from guaranteeing peace
\nfor Ukraine, the 10-point formula will create mechanisms to counter future conflicts. For
\nKyiv, the formula includes the withdrawal of Russian troops from its territory.
\nAccording to Western diplomats, the choice of Saudi Arabia to host the talks is
\ndesigned to facilitate the participation of China, which has good relations
\nwith Moscow and with Riyadh. <\/p>\n
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\n
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SPORTS PM Marcel Ciolacu congratulated the
\nRomanian athletes and coaches who took part in the European Youth Olympic
\nFestival hosted this year by Maribor (Slovenia). He said Romania once again
\nconfirmed its rebirth as a sports powerhouse after it finished the competition
\nwith 20 medals, shoulder to shoulder with France, which came 3rd in
\nthe final ranking. Their result reconfirms their hard work, talent and the
\npride of proving to the world that we are a country which, in spite of
\ndifficulties, remains able to cultivate the spirit required of great champions,\u02ee
\nCiolacu said. Romania’s performance at this year’s European Youth Olympic
\nFestival was the best after the ones in a Bath (1995) and Paris (2003). (AMP)<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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