Romanian PM Nominates Robert Cazanciuc For Justice Minister
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta appointed Robert Cazanciuc, a former prosecutor and currently secretary general of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, for justice minister.
Cazanciuc, 41, served as prosecutor before being named secretary general of the Foreign Ministry in 2009.
The appointment comes just days after Ponta, who has been filling in as interim justice minister since the end of March, also nominated candidates for the key positions of prosecutor general and head of the anticorruption prosecutors’ office. (Romania Libera)
Ecaterina Andronescu Elected Head Of Social Democratic Party Bucharest Chapter
Social democrat senator Ecaterina Andronescu was elected head of the party’s Bucharest branch Thursday.
Bucharest social democrat sector mayors Marian Vanghelie and Robert Negoita were elected executive presidents of the organization, Eugen Bejinariu was elected executive secretary, and Marin Popescu was appointed treasurer.
The party’s Bucharest branch was previously headed by Vanghelie. (Evenimentul Zilei)
German Politicians Blame Romania For Schengen Roadblock
Two German conservative MEPs have accused Romania’s Socialist government of hindering Bulgaria and Romania’s entry into the Schengen area, contradicting Berlin’s statements that the two nations were weak on justice and corruption, Euractiv.com reported.
German MEP Manfred Weber, vice chairman of the European People’s Party, praised Bulgaria for its preparation for Schengen membership, despite Germany’s March 7 veto that blocked its and Romania’s Schengen accession.
The Schengen accession hasn’t been successful because the Romanian government of the last three years has been dealing with constitutional issues in a counterproductive way, Weber said. (Puterea)
Oltchim Employees Receive Overdue Wages
Employees of insolvent state-owned chemical plant Oltchim received their overdue wages Thursday, the Economy Ministry said in a statement.
The wages were paid from the guarantee fund administered by the local county employment agency and each of the plant’s 3,318 employees received an average RON6,300.
Economy Minister Varujan Vosganian said Thursday the plant’s privatization procedure is expected to start in June and authorities have received letters of interest from potential investors.
Debt-mired Oltchim entered insolvency at the end of January following a failed privatization attempt last year. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Romania Allots RON16M For 2013 SME Support Program
Romanian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be able to submit financing requests starting Monday, April 15, through a state-supported program that has been allotted RON16 million this year.
Small and medium-sized businesses will be able to access annual credit lines with entirely subsidized interest and/or loans partially guaranteed by the state.
The annual credit lines are capped at 400,000 lei (EUR91,000) per firm. (Puterea)
Low-Cost Romanian Airline Blue Air Put Up For Sale
Romanian low-cost airline Blue Air, owned by businessman Nelu Iordache, who is currently under arrest, has been put up for sale and several Romanian and foreign investors have shown interest in the company.
So far, some six investors extended offers and the court-appointed administrator of insolvent firm Romstrade, which owns Blue Air, wants to complete the transaction in at most two months.
Blue Air and construction company Romstrade are the largest businesses controlled by Iordache, who is under arrest for embezzling RON25 million from EU funds allotted for the construction of the Nadlac-Arad highway.
At the beginning of the year, Blue Air said it cancelled a $462.2 million order it placed in 2008 for five Boeing 737 planes, due to the difficult financial situation Romstrade was facing. (Romania Libera)
Around 11% Of Romanians Will Be Diabetic By 2030
Over 800,000 people in Romania suffer from diabetes and it is estimated 11,1% of the population will suffer from the illness by 2030, said doctor Nicolae Hancu, head of the Romanian Federation for Diabetes, Nutrition and Metabolic Illnesses.
Diabetes is the fifth most frequent cause of death worldwide and life expectancy for people with diabetes is 10% lower than for healthy people. (Jurnalul National)
Romanians Fasting Before Easter Spend More On Food During Fast
A quarter of Romanians fasting before Easter end up spending more money on food during this period, a survey has found.
Grocery shopping can be more difficult during fast periods as people eat more fresh, unprocessed foods, which tend to be more expensive. Also, food costs rise when not all members of a household are fasting, thus they buy more types of food products than usual, said the survey conducted by Mercury Research.
According to the survey, 42% of Romanians aged over 14 fast before Easter. (Jurnalul National)