Press Review - April 27, 2016

04.27.2016 By Gabriela Stan

OMV: Nord Stream To Be Inaugurated In 2019, Black Sea Gas Production To Start After 2020

OMV and ExxonMobil will not start the natural gas production in the Black Sea Neptun block sooner than 2020, as they have not made the final decision related to the investment yet, OMV general manager, Reiner Seele, stated in Bucharest.

Seele said that the final decision related to the investment in natural gas pipeline Nord Stream will take into account the Romanian fiscal framework, as they need a fiscal framework that would not be changed every 2-3 years by every government or minister.

OMV head also said that the Black Sea natural gas will be used for supplying the local market and the markets neighboring the Black Sea. (Adevarul)

Wienerberger Romania Buys Brick Factory In Buzau

Brick manufacturer Wienerberger Romania has bought the brick factory in Buzau (south-eastern Romania), owned by the company Search Chemicals, controlled by Turkish businessman Omer Susli.

The transaction includes the company’s assets and a clay pit. The parties involved in the transaction agreed not to disclose the acquisition price.

The brick factory in Buzau went under conservation in 2011 and resumed operations in 2014, at a reduced capacity. Wienerberger Romania plans to modernize the plant in coming months to meet the group’s international standards. It will also keep the factory’s staff and carry out professional training programs. (Romania Libera)

Deputies To Discuss Draft Law On Foreign Currency Loan Conversion

The deputies in the Legal Committee will discuss a draft law on the conversion of foreign currency loans in two weeks.

According to the version of the law adopted by the Senate, debtors with foreign currency loans can ask for the conversion into the currency in which they get their incomes, at the exchange rate available in the day of the application, without additional costs or guarantees.

People who have Swiss franc loans want the foreign currency loans to be paid back at the exchange rate available at the date when the contract was signed or at an exchange rate lower than the market exchange rate, to offset the impact of the depreciation of the Romanian leu.

The Swiss franc touched record highs on the Romanian market starting January 15, 2015, after gaining nearly 30% against the euro following the Swiss National Bank’s decision to scrap the minimum exchange rate ceiling against the euro. (Puterea)

Nicusor Dan Submits Candidacy For Bucharest Mayor

The president of “Save Bucharest” Union, Nicusor Dan, submitted his candidacy for the position of mayor of capital Bucharest, on Tuesday.

“I am inviting everybody to the electoral campaign that will follow, as it will be an electoral fight between people and party machineries. Between real people, who proved something in their career and are willing to sacrifice for people’s welfare and marionettes whose pictures you can see on the campaign tents of certain groups of interests," Nicusor Dan stated.

Dan added he has just ended six difficult weeks in which he gathered signatures “for real”. (Romania Libera)

Emergency Situations Department Launches Mobile Phone Application For Alerts

The Emergency Situations Department (DSU) has launched a mobile phone application for alerts in case of emergency situations, which can be downloaded both from Google Play and AppStore.

Doctor Raed Arafat, DSU head, stated that the application can also be used for emergency medical services, which can receive photos from car accidents or floods, among others.

According to Arafat, the application will not replace the 112 emergency telephone number, but will bring authorities closer to the population.

The application includes four important categories – news and press releases, alerts, reporting (photos, information from the place of the accident), and education (40 lessons, tests),” said Arafat, state secretary with the Interior Ministry. (Adevarul)