10 July 2015

A roundup of domestic and international news

Newsroom, 10.07.2015, 12:01

For the first time after 1989, the annual inflation rate in Romania now has a negative value, standing at minus 1.6% in June, after a drop from 1.2% in May. Also, the monthly inflation rate has reached 2.95%. This steep drop in the month of June was triggered, among other things, by the reduction of the VAT, the Statistics Institute explains. We recall that starting June 1st, 2015, the VAT in Romania is 9% for foodstuffs and beverages. Also, the National Statistics Institute reports that in the first 5 months of the year, Romanias trade balance deficit reached 2.567 billion Euros, 272.5 million Euro higher than in the same period of 2015.

Nine and a half billion Euro worth of European funding has been placed at Romanias disposal for the construction and modernisation of highways, airports, water supply networks and energy grids. The money is available starting today until 2020, under the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme. This is the most important programme in Romania, and the second most import in the EU, after the one for Poland. The European Commissioner for Regional Policies, the Romanian Corina Cretu, has stated that under this program, the Romanian Government has committed itself to bringing drinking water in each and every home in Romania, by 2020. The large projects that the European Commission believes are Romanias top priorities are the Sibiu-Pitesti, Bacau-Pascani and Targu Neamt – Ungheni highways.

The new reform proposals set forth by the Greek Government are being analysed today by the international lenders: the EU, the ECB and the IMF. On Sunday, the Eurozone finance ministers will examine the proposals too, France Presse reports. According to official sources in the Eurozone, Greece wants a 3 year aid-program and commits to passing a new pension law this autumn and also to drafting a new fiscal legislation. Greece also intends to cut military expenses, to increase the VAT and to eliminate the VAT exemption for the Greek islands, by 2016. On Sunday, the EU leaders will gather in Brussels to discuss the Greek situation. Greeces debt stands at over 320 billion Euros, of which 65% to Eurozone countries and the IMF, and 8.7% to the ECB. Staring July 1st, Greece has been technically on default. In order to avoid exiting the Eurozone, Greece needs another bailout program.

The summer session of the high-school graduation examination has ended today, with the posting of the final results. The baccalaureate graduation rate was 66% of the total number of candidates registered for the current session. 42 high-schools registered a 100% passing rate. On the other hand, in another 55 high-schools no student managed to pass the baccalaureate. Because of these poor results, they run the risk of being closed down, the Education Ministry has announced.

Romanian Horia Tecau and Dutch Jean Julien Rojer have qualified for the final of the mens doubles at Wimbledon. On Saturday they will play against the pair made up of Jamie Murray of Great Britain and John Peers of Australia. In the semi-finals, after a rather tough game, Tecau and Rojer managed to defeat the Romanian – Indian pair Florin Mergea / Bopanna. This is the fourth Wimbledon final for Horia Tecau. In the previous years he qualified alongside the Swedish Robert Lindstedt in 2010, 2011 and 2012, but lost every time. The only Romanian who has ever won a Wimbledon final in the mens doubles was Ilie Nastase, who played alongside the American Jimmy Connors, in 1973.

The 2015-2016 edition of the First Football League kicks off in Romania today. For the first time in the history of Romanian football, 14 teams will play on the basis of a new formula: regular season and play-offs/play-out. FC Botosani has qualified for Europa Leagues second preliminary round, after it defeated on Thursday the Georgian squad FC Thinvali, 3-1. In the next round, FC Botosani will meet the Polish squad Legia Warsaw. In the Europa League Romania is also represented by Astra Giurgiu and ASA Tg. Mures, the recent winner of the Supercup, and playing in the Champions League will be the holder of the title, Steaua Bucharest.