PSD Ranks First By Voting Intentions For Parliamentary Election
According to the latest polls, the Social Democratic Party (PSD) ranks first in terms of voting intentions at the parliamentary elections taking place on Sunday, followed at a high distance by its electoral rivals, according to Gandul newspaper.
According to an IRES poll, conducted on December 6-7, PSD gets 44% of the voting intentions, followed by the National Liberal Party (PNL), with 23% and Save Romania Union (USR), with 7%. ALDE and PMP get 6% of the voting intentions, UDMR – 5%, and PRU – 4%. 3% of the respondents said they would vote for an independent candidate, while 2% will vote for other parties.
According to the poll, 42% of the respondents will definitely vote in the upcoming election, 28% will probably vote, 21% will definitely not vote, and 6% will probably not vote.
The IRES poll was based on the answers of 1.100 people.
PSD also ranks first by voting intention in polls conducted by SOCIOLPOL and Avangarde. (mediafax.ro)
Government Oks First Home Program Amendments
The state guarantee for the government-guaranteed mortgage lending First Home program will be reduced from 50% to 40% for apartments older than 5 years and will remain at 50% for homes built in the last five years or consolidated in the last 5 years, according to an emergency ordinance approved Thursday by the government.
“The normative act amends Government Emergency Ordinance no. 60/2009 on certain measures for the implementation of ‘First Home’ program. The differentiation of the categories of housing units which can be acquired through this program and the individualization of the guarantee percentage points based on the category of housing units targets the creation of favorable conditions both for increasing the housing stock and for improving the existing one, in line with the objectives set up by the government within the Strategy for ‘First Home’ program for 2017-2021, approved in Thursday’s government session,” the government said in a statement.
From the start of the program, in 2009, until the end of October 2016, a total 201,080 guarantees have been granted, representing a total volume of guarantees of nearly RON17.2 billion, which corresponds to financings worth nearly RON34.4 billion. (mediafax.ro)
PM Says PSD Budget Draft Follows Same Line Of Lies And Exaggerations
Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos told Realitatea TV station on Thursday that next year’s budget draft presented by PSD president, Liviu Dragnea, ”follows the same line of lies, exaggeration and impressing the electors”.
”It follows the same line of lies, exaggerations and impressing the electors with high numbers which have no real support. They have not presented enough details for us to analyze the budget in a coherent manner. I can see they count on unrealistic numbers, on an economic growth of 5.5%, compared with 4.8% this year, while the European Commission estimates Romania will have an economic growth of 3.9%. The Finance Ministry estimates a growth of 4.2-4.3% of the GDP. Thus, 5.5% is rather unrealistic,” Ciolos said. (mediafax.ro)
Government Approves EUR200M State Aid For Stimulating SME Investments
Romanian government approved a decision for setting up the state aid scheme “Scale UP” for stimulating investments of small and medium-sized enterprises, totaling maximum RON900 million (approximately EUR200 million), for 2017-2020 period.
The maximum state aid granted to a beneficiary within this program cannot exceed RON5 million; thus the estimated number of the SME which can get such state aid is 200.
Of the total budget, RON270 million (EUR60 million) will be assigned to the three pilot-areas Jiu Valley , Rosia Montana – Apuseni mountains and the marginalized communities in Moldova region, for the development of integrated programs to improve the socio-economic conditions of the inhabitants in those areas. (mediafax.ro)
Government Rules On Distribution Of Money Coming From Confiscated Goods
The Romanian government approved the regulation on the distribution of the amounts coming from the sale of confiscated goods. The regulation sets up the allocation of the funds coming from the sale of movable and immovable assets confiscated by the state.
According to the regulation approved by the government, 20% of the amounts will go to Education Ministry, another 20% will go to Health Ministry and 15% will be assigned to each of the following institutions: Interior Ministry, Public Ministry, Justice Ministry and social foundations. (mediafax.ro)