CSAT Meets Friday For Talks On CFR Marfa Sale Contract
Romania’s President Traian Basescu has convened a special meeting of the country’s high defense body CSAT and the issue on the table is the privatization of state-owned freight railway carrier CFR Marfa, the Presidency said Thursday.
According to the Presidency, CSAT will hold an urgent meeting at the request of the Government. The meeting is scheduled for 11:00 a.m..
Last Wednesday, the Government approved the contract by which private railway company Grup Feroviar Roman (GFR) takes over 51% of CFR Marfa.
Prime Minister Victor Ponta said CFR Marfa’s sale contract would be signed after CSAT endorsed it, possibly in September, and the privatization procedure would be completed in 60 days.
The Government said last week that CSAT’s failure to issue a standpoint regarding the contract to sell a majority stake in state-owned freight railway carrier CFR Marfa would block privatization and the company would be placed under private management and restructured.
Organized Crime Prosecutors Place Distraint On Omar Hayssam’s Wealth
Organized crime prosecutors have seized several residences, lands, industrial installations and over EUR1 million owned by terrorist convict Omar Hayssam in connection with an embezzlement case involving Hayssam, which is tried at the Bucharest Court.
Hayssam was indicated on charges of accessory to embezzlement, fraud, money laundering, use of forged documents and to the setting up of a criminal ring.
Hayssam said Wednesday in court that he wants legal authorities in Romania and international authorities to reopen all his cases so that “all truths can come out.”
Bucharest Court judges are expected to decide whether Hayssam will be placed under preventive arrest on embezzlement charges.
End November 2012, Romania’s Supreme Court sentenced Hayssam to 16 years in prison for embezzling EUR1.6 million from four companies. (Puterea)
Romania Forex Reserves Rise To EUR33.35B In July
Romanian foreign exchange reserves rose to EUR33.35 billion in July, from EUR32.3 billion a month earlier, according to central bank data.
Foreign exchange inflows increased to EUR1.83 billion in July, from EUR662 million in June, while total outflows fell to EUR787 million, from EUR1.05 billion in the previous month.
Around EUR337 million of the July inflows were raised at a local euro-denominated bond sale organized by the Finance Ministry.
The central bank’s gold holdings were steady at 103.7 metric tons, but their value adjusted for international gold price rose to EUR3.34 billion, from EUR3.07 billion in June.
Romania’s overall international reserves were at EUR36.69 billion in June, up from EUR35.38 billion a month earlier. (Jurnalul National)
ANRE: Household Consumers To Pay 5%-7% Lower Electricity Bills In August
Romania’s energy regulator ANRE head Niculae Havrilet said household electricity bills for the month of July, which are paid in August, will be lower by 5% to 7%.
“I am talking about the 1.3% cut in electricity prices announced in early July and the remaining percentage comes from reducing the number of green certificates,” Havrilet said.
The energy regulator decided to lower the annual certificate quota for all electricity suppliers, which would result in a 4% drop in household bills.
The regulator said the effect of the new green certificate quota will lower electricity bills for end users as the share of green certificates in the final bill decreases from RON0.051/KWh to RON0.034/KWh. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Prime Minister Ponta Sacks 59 Government Inspectors
Prime Minister Victor Ponta has sacked 59 inspectors of the Government Secretariat General based on the ordinance cutting nearly 3,000 jobs, which translates into 4% of the number of employees.
Ponta signed Wednesday the decisions discharging the 59 inspectors. (Romania Libera)