Press Review - October 22, 2018

10.22.2018 By Oana Gavrila

Finance Minister Against Taxing Weddings, Tax Agency Must Change

Finance minister Eugen Teodorovici said he does not agree with the tax agency's recent actions to tax weddings and said the statute of limitations on taxes should change to maximum two years from the current five-year term.

"First of all, ANAF [the tax agency - e.n.] should have asked the ministry about such an action [taxing weddings - e.n.]. This approach by ANAF needs to change and its way of acting and reacting will change by the end of this year,” said Teodorovici.

He said he will propose an amendment to lower the statute of limitations on due taxes to two years instead of five.

Tariceanu Says Government Hasn't Informed Him of Planned Wage Freeze

Senate chairman and head of the junior party in the ruling coalition, Calin Popescu Tariceanu, said he doesn't think wages in the public sector will be frozen in 2019.

He said he has not received the letter of finance minister Teodorovici to the European Commission.

“There will be no wage freeze, the Romanian economy is growing sturdily. This economic growth must reflect in citizens' purchasing power, be they employees or pensioners. There will be no wage freeze as long as the economy is growing,” said Tariceanu, cited by Antena 3.

Ponta Elected President of Pro Romania Party

The Pro Romania party met Sunday and vote dot elect former social democrat prime minister Victor Ponta as party president.

The party's elected first vice-presidents are party founder Daniel Constantin, Nicolae Banicioiu and Sorin Cimpeanu.

Ponta said he will run in the elections for the European Parliament due in 2019.

Orban Says Central Bank Adopted Lending Restrictions Too Late

Liberal Party president Ludovic Orban said the central bank's move to limit the indebtedness ratio allowed on consumer and mortgage loans came too late as consumption has been decreasing for three months.

“The central bank decision will not limit consumption, as the ruling Social Democrat Party is trying to claim. Decreasing consumption is a trend that has been apparent for three months and manifested itself on the market before the central bank decision, which came too late, in my opinion,” said Orban.

Romania's central bank board approved new lending rules last week, limiting the indebtedness ratio allowed for consumer loans and mortgage loans. For loans in lei, the central bank capped the maximum indebtedness ratio at 40% of monthly income, while the ratio for loans in foreign currency was capped at 20% for both consumer and mortgage loans.