Press Review - July 27, 2018

07.27.2018 By Oana Gavrila

Proposed US Ambassador to Romania Says Is Honored by Nomination

Adrian Zuckerman, whom US president Donald Trump announced he intends to send as ambassador to Romania, said he is honored by the nomination.

“I am flattered and deeply honored to be nominated as the future ambassador of the USA to Romania,” Zuckerman told Realitatea Tv.

The US Senate still has to approve the nomination. A new ambassador is to replace current ambassador Hans Klemm starting 2019.

Irina Bara Leaves Moscow Doubles in Quarterfinals

The pair of Romanian tennis player Irina Bara and Georgian player Oksana Kalashnikova was defeated by Alexandra Panova (Russia)/Galina Voskoboeva (Kazakhstan) 7-5, 6-2 Thursday in the quarterfinals of the WTA tournament in Moscow.

Bara and her partner were eliminated after a match that lasted one hour and 18 minutes.

The two will receive a check for $3,852 and 60 WTA points.

On Wednesday, Bara was defeated 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-4 by Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova, third-seeded. Bara is set to get $7,195 and 42 WTA points.

Romania's Budget Deficit Doubles in 1H, to 1.61% of GDP

Romania's general consolidated budget posted a deficit of RON14.97 billion in the first half of 2018, or 1.61% of the gross domestic product, more than double compared with RON6.295 billion in the same period last year, finance ministry data showed.

Revenues to the consolidated budget amounted to RON132.04 billion, or 14.2% of GDP, and were 12.6% higher in nominal terms compared with the first half of 2017.

Social security contribution collections grew 36.8%, property tax collections grew 5.9%, while income tax revenue declined 21.5% on the year.

Budget expenditure stood at RON147.01 billion in the first half, 19% higher compared with the same period last year.

Staff spending grew 24.4% on the year in the first half, due to double-digit wage growth in the public sector and a raise in the minimum wage.

Investment spending, which includes capital expenditure and development programs financed from local and external sources, amounted to RON9.1 billion, compared with RON6 billion in the same period last year.

Romgaz to Distribute Gross Dividend of RON4.99/Share

Romania's state-owned natural gas producer Romgaz Medias will distribute dividends from last year's profit throughout a three-year period, from July 27, 2018 to July 27, 2021.

The company will distribute gross dividends of RON4.99 per share.

The Romanian state owns 70% in Romgaz through the Ministry of Energy.