Press Review - December 12, 2018

12.12.2018 By Oana Gavrila

Romanian Govt To Draft 2019 Budget on 5.5% GDP Growth

Romania's draft state budget for 2019 will be based on a gross domestic product of RON1,022 billion, a projected economic growth of 5.5% and a deficit below 3% of GDP, finance minister Eugen Teodorovici said Tuesday.

The minister said the next year's budget deficit would be lower than this year's and the budget will focus more on investments.

Romania's GDP is estimated at nearly RON950 billion this year.

Labor Committee Endorses Pensions Law with Amendments

The Chamber of Deputies' labor committee adopted a report endorsing the pension law, with amendments, after a seven-hour meeting.

Amendments include shorter contribution periods for women with adopted children and the possibility to pay extra contributions if a person has paid regular contributions to the state pensions system for at least ten years.

The Chamber of Deputies might vote on the bill Wednesday and the opposition is looking to contest the bill at the Constitutional Court.

Initiators say the law will come into force in September 2019. 

Former Labor Minister Supports Amnesty And Pardoning Decree

Romania’s former labor minister Olguta Vasilescu said Tuesday she supports an emergency decree on amnesty and pardoning, while Prime Minister Viorica Dancila denied discussions of such initiatives.

Vasilescu, whose nomination as regional development minister is pending a Constitutional Court ruling, said that she supports the measure as reparation for what she considers “unjustly sentenced” individuals.

“Currently there is no means of appeal for people who were judged and condemned by the five-judge panels declared illegal, notwithstanding the SRI-DNA collaboration protocols which were also illegal. These people need at least a procedure to defend themselves,” said Vasilescu, referring to a recent Constitutional Court decision which stated that the Supreme Court’s five-judge panels in the past five years were erroneously selected.