Romania Trade Deficit Widens To EUR4.46B In 1H
Romania’s trade balance posted a deficit of EUR4.46 billion in the first half of the year, EUR1.17 billion higher than in the same period last year, the country’s statistics board said Tuesday.
Imports grew 7.7% in the first six months, to EUR32.6 billion, while exports grew at a lower rate, of 4.2%, totaling EUR28.1 billion.
Vehicles and other transport equipment made up 48.2% of Romania’s exports and 37.7% of its imports in the first half of the year, while other manufactured goods accounted for 33.1% of exports and 31.4% of imports.
The European Union remained Romania’s main trading partner, being the source of 77.8% of the country’s imports and receiving 75.5% of its exports.
In June alone, imports grew 2.7% compared with June 2015, to EUR5.63 billion, while exports grew 3.7%, to EUR4.94 billion, resulting in a trade gap of EUR695.8 million, the data showed. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Romgaz To Tap Electric Power Market
Romania’s largest natural gas producer Romgaz (SNG.RO), which is probably the most profitable state-owned company, wants to enter the segment of electric power production.
The company took over a thermal power plant in Iernut in February 2013 from Electrocentrale Bucharest, to extinguish a debt of RON653 million. For the Iernut power plant, Romgaz seeks a partner to set up a joint-venture to operate the electricity production unit.
The investment will be the first thermal power plant built by a state-owned company after 1990. The new thermal power plant in Iernut would become operational in 2020, according to a notification for Romgaz shareholders. (Puterea)
Dragnea, Tariceanu And Constantin Make Important Step To Governing
Willing to get to governing at any cost after the parliamentary elections, the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) is promising support for a no-confidence motion that would be submitted by PSD and ALDE parties.
UDMR calculations are simple: it targets 5-6% at parliamentary elections, ALDE would get 7% and PSD could exceed 40% (according to the latest opinion polls), so that, together the three parties would reach 50+1, which is necessary for appointing the Prime Minister. UDMR leaders are aware that PNL (28%) has minimum chances to propose the future Prime Minister. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Physicians’ Protests Are Officially Over
After protesting for about one month for their salary rights, physicians have reached an agreement with Health and Labor Ministries and decided to end the protests.
The head of “Solidaritatea Sanitara” Federation, Viorel Rotila, has officially announced the end of the protest, advising his colleagues to sign the individual contracts for additional on-call services, as fast as possible.
”Given the common declaration signed with the Health Ministry and Labor Ministry, guaranteeing the issuance of a normative act which stipulates the payment for additional on-call services (…), “Solidaritatea Sanitara” Federation, as initiator of the protests, is officially announcing the end of on-call doctors’ protests. We consider we have reached our goals (…),” Rotila said in a statement. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Justice Minister Raluca Pruna To Sue Victor Ponta
Romanian Justice Minister, Raluca Pruna, on Tuesday said she has not sued former PM Victor Ponta yet, but she will take the necessary measures in the upcoming days.
Pruna said Ponta posted on his Facebook page that a mayor came to her office, using influence peddling for the Justice Minister to adopt an emergency ordinance.
The minister told Realitatea TV station that the Justice Ministry is very often “attacked” by the former PM.
“I think the attack against me is an attack that would have been inevitable against any justice minister, so that I don’ necessarily consider it as an attack against me, but as an attack against the portfolio. We are in a complicated period, the fight against corruption is bearing fruit, and it could suddenly seem like the justice is too independent in this country,” Pruna said. (Adevarul)