Romania 2013 Current Account Gap Narrows To EUR1.5B
Romania’s current account deficit narrowed sharply to EUR1.5 billion in 2013, down 74% from a gap of EUR5.84 billion a year earlier, largely due to a smaller imbalance of the trade deficit, according to Mediafax.
The 2012 figure was revised up from a gap of EUR5.04 billion previously estimated.
The trade deficit shrank to EUR3.42 billion in 2013, from around EUR7.4 billion a year earlier, but the income deficit widened by some EUR1 billion, the data showed. (Romania Libera)
Government Mulls Bringing Back Progressive Taxation
Romanian government plans to reintroduce progressive taxation, with three tax rates, based on incomes, according to the fiscal-budget strategy for 2014-2016, posted on the website of the Finance Ministry.
The three tax rates are 8%, 12% and 16%. A way to give up the 16% flat tax would also be the granting of fiscal loan for those planning to restructure loans who accept a rate cut by up to 1/2, a measure which government wants to implement as of April 1. (Curentul)
PM Names Mircea Geoana High Representative For Economic And Diplomacy Projects
Mircea Geoana was named by Prime Minister Victor Ponta as High Representative of the Prime Minister for promoting strategic economic and public diplomacy projects.
According to the document, Mircea Geoana’s main targets are: to promote economic regional projects taking into account the business environment’s interest in accessing new markets, including the perspective of the “New Silk Road” economic belt, to organize annual economic conferences in Romania, that will include international politics and business personalities, to participate in government’s projects regarding the country’s promoting abroad in order to draw foreign investments, to cooperate with organizations of the civic, economic and academic environment for promoting Romania’s relations with emerging states, to promote business opportunities in Romania during economic events or in relation to international organizations. (Gandul)
Sarbu: Liberals Might Lose Senate Chairman Position
PSD senators leader, Ilie Sarbu, told Antena 3 TV station, that the liberals might lose the Senate chairman position, because, according to the USL protocol, it should be given to the Conservative party.
„(…)We have absolute majority in the Senate, we can make any change. We don’t put it that way, but I would like to clear things up to avoid such situations. I want to be fair, Mr. Crin Antonescu said: We can give up this position if that’s the problem,“ Ilie Sarbu stated.
Ilie Sarbu said he was bothered by the fact that PNL disagreed with naming another deputy PM from the Conservative Party. (Adevarul)
People’s Movement Party Launches Two Simple Motions On Medical Aircraft Crash
The members of People’s Movement Party launched two simple motions related to the recent airplane crash in the Romanian Apuseni mountains, and will collect signatures from the population against the fuel excise duty hike.
Yesterday, deputies members of People’s Movement Party started to gather signatures for the two airplane crash simple motions. Deputy Elena Udrea urged all her colleagues in the Parliament to sign the two documents. (Evenimentul Zilei)