Romanian Government Pledges To Sign CFR Marfa Sale Contract By September
Romania’s Government pledged in negotiations with the International Monetary Fund for a new loan program it will sign by September the contract though which it sold a majority stake in state-owned freight carrier CFR Marfa.
In June, private railway company Grup Feroviar Roman (GFR) won an auction organized by the Transport Ministry to privatize CFR Marfa and offered EUR202 million for a 51% stake in the railway operator. GFR also committed to invest RON900 million in the company and another EUR1.5 million in environmental projects.
The privatization contract has yet to be signed as the sale process has been stalled by disputes between the head of state and the Government. Rumor has it that GFR owner Gruia Stoica did not get financing from banks to pay the EUR202 million. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Romanian Economists Revise Their Infraction Forecast Following Cut Of VAT On Bread
Romanian Government’s decision to lower the value added tax on bread from 24% to 9% starting September caused economists to revise their inflation forecast.
Romania posted the highest annual inflation in the European Union in June, of 5.4%.
Raiffeisen Bank economist Ionut Dumitru said the bank revised its inflation forecast following mainly the cut of the VAT on bread. Dumitru added that he expects the central bank will do the same Wednesday. (Adevarul)
Romania Takes First Step To Widening Healthcare Contribution Base
The measure which obliges Romanian homeowners to pay health insurance contributions for revenues obtained from home rental is a first step towards widening the contribution base in the healthcare sector.
The Finance Ministry said in a press release the measure, which has been included in the Government’s new letter of intent for a new loan program with the International Monetary Fund, is meant to widen the healthcare contribution base so that the contribution will be paid not only for income obtained from salary. (Gandul)
At Least Three Paintings Stolen From Kunsthal Museum Were Burnt
At least three paintings stolen last year from the Kunsthal Museum in Rotterdam were burnt in a stove in Romania, according to experts from the Romanian National Museum of History.
Seven valuable paintings were stolen in October from the Kunsthal Museum. The works include “Tête d’Arlequin” by Pablo Picasso, “La Liseuse en Blanc et Jaune” by Henri Matisse, “Waterloo Bridge” and “Charing Cross Bridge” by Claude Monet, “Femme devant une fenêtre ouverte, dite la fiancée” by Paul Gauguin and “Autoportrait de Meyer de Haan” by Lucian Freud.
In July, Romanian organized crime prosecutors indicted Radu Dogaru, Eugen Darie, Alexandru Bitu, Olga Dogaru, Petre Condrat and Adrian Procop on charges of stealing the paintings.
According to the indictment bill, Radu Dogaru’s mother, Olga Dogaru, buried the paintings in the yard of an abandoned house and then in a graveyard. When searches started, on February 13, she unburied and burnt them in a stove in her own house. (Curentul)
Romanian New Bill On Pay To Doctors Regarded As Discriminatory
The Romanian bill on extra pay to doctors who offer private healthcare services in public hospitals after their work program is discriminatory, Romanian Doctors’ College vice-president Gheorghe Borcean said.
According to Borcean, 60% of the money collected from patients receiving private treatment in public hospitals will go to a single doctor. (Curentul)