Press Review - September 18, 2015

09.18.2015 By Gabriela Stan

Romanian PM Indicted On Fraud, Tax Evasion Accessory Charges

Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta has been indicted on charges of accessory to tax evasion and money laundering and 17 counts of forgery, the country's anticorruption department DNA said in a statement Thursday.

Ponta was indicted alongside social democrat senator Dan Sova and the manager of Rovinari, in connection with the defrauding of state energy companies Turceni and Rovinari back in 2007 and 2008.

Anticorruption prosecutors said in June they were investigating Ponta on several counts of fraud relating to the Turceni-Rovinari case, where he signed invoices in his capacity as an attorney in 2007 and 2008, under a contract with the law firm of Dan Sova, also investigated for corruption. (Adevarul)

IMF Official: Romanian Economy, On The Right Path

Guillermo Tolosa, IMF Resident Representative in Romania, stated Thursday that the Romanian economy is on the right path and the country could outrank countries like the Czech Republic, Greece or Portugal in three years, if the country’s economy continues to grow at a similar pace as in the last two years.

On the other hand, the IMF official added that the country is facing certain obstacles that might cause problems in the future, such as infrastructure, which is lacking at the moment, adding that this issue should be subject to a serious approach. (Curierul National)

ANRE: Romania To Cut Natural Gas Price By Up To 10% As Of July 2016

Romania will cut natural gas prices by up to 10% as of July 1, 2016, due to the international evolution of the tariffs, Niculae Havrilet, head of Romania’s energy regulator ANRE, told Mediafax Talks about Energy conference Thursday.

Thus, the price of a MW will be reduced by RON13, from the current RON130, after the price increase triggered by the market liberalization process during the last years, Havrilet said.

 "During the last years, the prices went up due to the price regulation; through liberalization, the prices headed to the free market zone, which triggered their alignment to international prices which were much higher 4-5 years ago. This price decrease will also be applied to the benefit of the Romanian consumer," said ANRE head.

ANRE representative added that the price cut is related to the evolution of the gas price internationally, not to next year’s elections. (Puterea)

Education Unionists Close New Round Of Negotiations With Education Ministry

The representatives of education unionists on Thursday closed a new round of negotiations with Education Minister Sorin Campeanu, agreeing on the salary increase scheme for the education sector.

"The government proposed a 10% salary increase as of December 1, 2015," said Sorin Campeanu.

According to Campeanu, unionists had previously asked for a 20% salary increase. "A 20% salary increase would mean, considering the 5% increase in March and the 5% increase in September, a salary hike of 32%. The government will keep its promise to add the sums identified as available besides what it has already promised," said Campeanu. (Puterea)

Hans Klemm, Sworn In As New US Ambassador To Romania

The new US Ambassador to Romania, Hans G. Klemm, saluted Wednesday, during the swearing in ceremony, the efforts of Romania in tackling corruption, according to a statement of the Embassy of Romania to the USA.

At the same time, US state secretary John Kerry said that Romania is a staunch NATO Ally and a significant contributor to international peace and security, adding that the country is playing a key role in ensuring the prosperity of southeastern Europe. (Puterea)