July 13, 2021

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Newsroom, 13.07.2021, 13:55

GOALS Reforming state companies and
streamlining fiscal administration are two of the main objectives Romanian
Prime Minister Florin Citu says he will pursue as an interim Finance Minister.
These two objectives were also high on the agenda of talks the Romanian
official recently held with a World Bank delegation headed by Anna Bjerde,
vice-president for Europe and Central Asia. On the occasion, Citu has also
presented a series reforms assumed by the government, such as those concerning the
pension system, public salaries as well as those aimed at achieving fiscal
sustainability. The Prime Minister has mentioned the reform of the state
companies and the process of streamlining the fiscal administration and the
National Bank for Development. The World Bank has congratulated the government
on the economic growth envisaged for 2021, Romania being among the few
countries, which this year could entirely recover from the last year’s
contraction.

INS According to data released by the
National Institute for Statistics on Tuesday, in the first five months of the
year, Romania registered a trade deficit of roughly 9 billion Euros. Exports
stood at nearly 30 billion Euros whereas imports totaled over 38 billion.
Transport machinery and gear as well as other manufactured goods accounted for
most of the international exchanges. Romania’s imports and exports were mainly done
inside the EU. On the other hand, the annual inflation rate went up to 3.9 % in
June 2021 and 3.8 % in May against increasing prices in food and non-food products
as well as services. According to a quarterly report issued by Romania’s
Central Bank, the inflation rate will be maintaining an upward trend in the
following months to reach 4.1 % in December.

TALKS Romanian president Klaus Iohannis is today hosting
the inauguration event of a round of talks on the future of Europe, which also
involves the participation of the European Commissioner for Transport Adina
Valean. According to the presidential administration, the major objective of
this round is the consolidation of the European project for the benefit of all
citizens. The conference on the future of Europe kicked off in Strasbourg on
May 9th and debates over this project are to be held all throughout the year
and in the first half of 2022 with a view to drawing up some guidelines over
the bloc’s future.

VACCINE Israel has kicked off a third-shot rollout for people
with impaired immunity in an attempt to contain the Covid-19 pandemic thus
being the first country in the world to resort to such a measure before the US
and European regulating authorities have approved Pfizer’s request in this
respect. Patients are going to be tested two weeks after the third shot and if
the level of antibodies is low, a fourth dose is to be made available. The
decision has been made against the fast spreading Delta Plus variant at a time
when the entire world is expecting a fourth wave of infections. In another
development, Brazil on Monday reported 745 Covid-related fatalities and over 17
thousand infections. Brazil ranks third in the world in terms of the number of
infection and deaths after the United States and India. At least 188 million
infections have so far been reported around the world and over 4 million
fatalities, according to worldmeters.info.

ELECTION Romania hails the results of the recent
election in the ex-soviet, Romanian-speaking Republic of Moldova and pledges
support in the country’s European integration process, after the presidential
party Action and Solidarity registered a landslide victory with 53% of the
votes. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis has congratulated the Moldovan
citizens on their clear option for reforms and the rule of law and President
Maia Sandu on her courage, perseverance and vision. According to the local public
radio, this has been the highest number of votes ever registered by a right-wing
party in the republic and the party’s interim president Igor Grosu has
announced the government team is ready. According to Russian news agency TASS,
socialist leader Igor Dodon has said he will build a responsible opposition but
the period of good relations with Russia has ended.

(bill)