Hidroelectrica Posts Record Gross Profit After Two Years Of Insolvency
Romania’s state-owned hydropower producer Hidroelectrica, which underwent a restructuring process during insolvency, reported a gross profit of RON754 million (EUR167.5 million) in the first six months of the year, up 4% from the year-earlier period, according to Remus Borza, the representative of Hidroelectrica’s former legal administrator Euro Insol.
Thus, it became the most profitable local company by the gross profit margin posted in the first six months of the year, with a gross profit margin of nearly 47%, up from 39% in January-June 2015.
This year, the company targets a record minimum gross profit of RON1.3 billion, and does not exclude a profit of RON1.4 billion, Borza said. The company registered its best result in 2014: RON1.157 billion. (Romania Libera)
OMV, Shell, Engie, Uniper And Wintershall Withdraw From Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline Project
The European partners of Russian gas giant Gazprom, namely Shell, OMV, Engie, Uniper and Wintershall announced their withdrawal from Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline project after Poland’s competition watchdog said that launching a joint venture between Gazprom and the five companies would undermine competition.
“The applicants have decided to jointly withdraw their merger control notification from the Polish competition authority. All the applicants believe that the project is crucial for the European energy system and each of them will therefore individually contemplate alternative ways to contribute to it,“ the companies said in a joint press statement.
Nord Stream 2 was projected to annually pump 55 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia to Germany. (Adevarul)
PMP President Admonishes Party Leaders Who Are In Conflict With UNPR Colleagues
The president of the People’s Movement Party (PMP), Traian Basescu, on Wednesday admonished PMP leaders who are in conflict with the new colleagues coming from UNPR.
PMP Maramures, Galati and Giurgiu organizations told Basescu that they face certain issues related to the merger with UNPR, the former party led by Gabriel Oprea.
“You have two options: you either accept the decision made by the leadership of the party, in accordance with the mandate, or we go on separate ways. (…) Me and the two executive presidents were authorized to make decisions,” PMP president told deputy Nutu Fonta, who was complaining that he lost the presidency of Maramures PMP organization. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Physicians Shortage At 50% In Certain Romanian Counties
According to official data, the deficit of physicians (13,000 doctors) even reaches 50% in certain Romanian counties.
In fact, there is no county without open positions for doctors, especially at cardiology, ENT or intensive care sections. There are cases when nobody shows up for an open position and cases when doctors return from abroad and want to work in their country, but the specialists committee cannot be brought together to evaluate the doctor.
Over 200 Romanian physicians asked the College of Physicians in Cluj county for professional certificates necessary for working abroad last year, according to the data of the organization. (Puterea)
Adopting Families Can No Longer Select Ethnicity – Adoption Law
A family who wants to adopt a baby can no longer select the child’s ethnicity, and, after five refusals, the adopting parents will be allowed to continue proceedings only after they undergo a counseling program, according to the new provisions in the adoption law.
The new law also includes procedures for children who are difficult to adopt, namely children older than seven years, disabled children, children who have a brother or a sister. The family evaluation was also reconsidered, thus the authorities will test the capacity to be an eligible parent, according to the representatives of National Authority for Child’s Rights Protection and Adoption – ANPDCA. (Adevarul)