Press Review - April 6, 2016

04.06.2016 By Gabriela Stan

Chamber Of Deputies’ Legal Committee Adopts Law On Debt Discharge

 The legal committee of the Chamber of Deputies adopted the law on debt discharge on Tuesday, deciding that it will also be applicable to properties subject to foreclosure procedures.

Thus, deputies in the legal committee decided that the government-backed mortgage lending First Home program will not remain subject to the provisions of the law, while the maximum ceiling which will be considered when enforcing the law will increase from EUR150,000 to EUR250,000.

 According to the law on giving in payment, retail mortgage borrowers can return real estate collateral to banks in exchange for writing off their loans.

The Chamber of Deputies, which has the final say on the matter, is expected to vote on Wednesday. (Puterea)

Law On Debt Discharge Should Benefit People Who Can No Longer Pay Back Their Loans - Survey

More than three quarters of Romanians (77%) say the proposed law on debt discharge should benefit only people who can no longer pay back their loans, not those who no longer want to pay.

 According to the survey "Romanians’ opinion about debt discharge law" conducted by IRSOP Market Research & Consulting, most respondents are against the idea of the law on debt discharge benefiting those who bought several homes / lands and are faced with financial problems, and want only people owning one home to enjoy the proposed law (81%).

Moreover, 89% think it is good to have a law helping natural persons who took out loans and are faced with financial difficulties.

The survey was conducted countrywide, for ARB, between March 28 and April 1, 2016, on a sample of 1,016 respondents, and has an error margin of +/- 3%. (Evenimentul Zilei)

Government To Debate Public Employees Wage Bill On Wednesday

The Romanian Government will debate the public employees wage law on Wednesday, according to Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos.

Ciolos said there are two versions of the bill to be discussed, one implying a multiannual wage increase until 2020, while the other only refers to next year.

"Thus, we have a version which involves the mobilizing of budget resources until 2020 (…), setting up a four-year law starting from a minimum wage level (…). There is another version, which we are seriously considering if we cannot set up a realistic, multiannual law on public employees' wages, with chances to be implemented: we will see what we can do for next year, with the resources that we know we can mobilize, with the budget draft that we will propose, and implement at least a first stage of re-balancing; then, us or the next Government and next Parliament will have to continue to reflect on the issue, based on what they assume,” Ciolos said.

The PM gave assurance that salaries will increase irrespective of the chosen version of the draft law. (Puterea)

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis Recalls 14 Ambassadors

President Klaus Iohannis signed the decree for recalling 14 Romanian ambassadors appointed by former President Traian Basescu.

Thus, the recalled ambassadors are: Marius Lazurca –Moldova Republic, Catalin Avramescu – Finland and Estonia, Matei-Viorel Ardeleanu – Denmark and Iceland, Cornel Ionescu - Ukraine, Filip Teodorescu - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Radu Onofrei - Turkey, Vasile Gheorghe Popovici – Portugal; Ion Vilcu - Spain, Ireny Comaroschi – The Netherlands, Dana Manuela Constantinescu – Italy, Malta and San Marino, Cosmin George Dinescu - Croatia, Anton Pacuretu  - Bulgaria, Ana Voicu – Mexico, Simona Mariana – Morocco.  (Evenimentul Zilei)

Violinist Sarah Chang To Perform In Bucharest
 

One of the world’s most famous violinists, Sarah Chang, will perform in Bucharest in April.

The violinist, who has been invited three times to Enescu Festival so far, will perform at the Opera in Cluj-Napoca on April 15 and at the Palace Hall in capital Bucharest on April 16.

Chang will perform Maz Bruch’s Violin Concerto No.1 for the first time in Romania, accompanied by the Bucharest Symphonic Orchestra, while the shows will be conducted by conductor José Luis Gomez.

Chang, 35, was recognized as a child prodigy, and first played as a soloist with the  New York Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1989. (Evenimentul Zilei)