Press Review - September 26, 2017

09.26.2017 By Oana Gavrila

Senate Votes to Cap Parental Leave Benefits

Romania's Senate on Monday voted to approve a government decree capping parental leave benefits at RON8,500 a month.

The bill was approved with 72 to 30 votes. Four senators abstained.

The bill will move on for debates and approval to the Chamber of Deputies.

Senate Healthcare Committee Debates Vaccination Law

The healthcare committee in the Romanian Senate on Tuesday starts debates on a controversial vaccination bill passed by the government at the end of July.

On the one hand, there are people who oppose mandatory vaccination, while on the other, the measure has supporters, particularly amid a measles epidemic that has claimed 34 lives so far.

Health minister Florian Bodog said 12% of parents refused to vaccinate eligible children in July. There have also been protests as some parents believe vaccination should be a family matter and should not be government-regulated.

Civil rights organization APADOR-CH has sent observations to Parliament saying mandatory vaccination for contagious diseases does not infringe on fundamental rights and liberties and the government must do what it can to lower the effects of vaccination refusal.

Hotels In Seaside Resorts Seek Support to Hire Asian Workers

Hotel owners in Romanian seaside have called for the set-up of a government agency to ease procedures for hiring workers from Asia, as Romania faces a workforce shortage in the industry.

Another proposition was to for the government to lower taxes to get Romanians working abroad to return to the country.

SME Council Launches Campaign Against Split VAT System

Romania's SME Council on Monday launched a campaign against mandatory split value-added tax payments, which would take effect as of January 1, 2018.

The council calls for the measure to remain optional.

Almost three-quarters of companies participating in a survey conducted by PwC Romania believe they need at least six months to implement the VAT split payment system and less 2% think they will be able to carry it through until January 1, 2018.

The survey also showed 95.4% of companies will not implement the new system between October and December 2017, and only 4.6% say they will apply the system before it comes mandatory.

Romania's government adopted a decree making separate payment accounts for the value-added tax mandatory as of January 1, 2018. Companies may implement the measure voluntarily starting October.

Interpol Sting Seizes $51M In Counterfeit Drugs

Interpol said Monday that it seized a record total of 25 million illicit and counterfeit medicines worth more than $51 million in a week-long worldwide operation.

Dietary supplements, painkillers, fake contact lenses, epilepsy medication, and 1.2 tonnes of erectile dysfunction pills were among the drugs seized, the France-based agency said in a statement.

Operation Pangea X was carried out by police, customs, and health authorities across a record 123 countries and led to more than 400 arrests from September 12 to 19.

The illegal sale of medicine online was also targeted, with 3,584 websites shut down and more than 3,000 online advertisements suspended.

Operation Pangea was launched in 2008 and has since tracked the rise of unauthorized websites selling pharmaceutical products.