Sibiu – Pitesti Highway Project Not Included In Transport Ministry’s 2017 Budget

 The 2017 budget of the Transport Ministry makes no reference whatsoever to the project of the Sibiu – Pitesti highway, despite being insistently required by carmakers Dacia Renault and Ford which were told the highway would be ready by 2021 at the latest.   A few weeks ago, Transport Minister Razvan Cuc announced his plans involving the highway, saying the ministry wants to speed up the project of the Sibiu-Pitesti highway, so that public procurement procedures for design and execution works could start in 2017.  

According to Cuc, a major obstacle in this respect is obtaining the environmental agreement, which implies a strong collaboration between the Transport and Environment ministries. (Capital)

Tourism Ministry Withdraws Licence Of Travel Agency Funtrip.World   Following 31 notifications from tourists as regards travel agency Funtrip.World failing to provide tourism services, the Tourism Ministry sent a control team at the firm’s headquarters.

On February 9, 2017, the travel agency said on a social network that it was undergoing insolvency, but undertook that people would be paid compensations by insurance company Omniasig.

Funtrip.World held an insurance policy targeting the reimbursement of repatriation costs and of the money paid by tourists, in case of insolvability or bankruptcy, issued by Omniasig for $50,000, valid until March 2, 2017. (Evenimentul Zilei)

Zero VAT On Acquisition Of New Homes To Help Real Estate Developers   The Grindeanu Government might eliminate the value added tax charged when purchasing new homes, starting March 1, 2017.

The elimination of VAT on purchasing new homes is a measure included in the governing program.

Sources close to the government, quoted by Ziarul Financiar, said the measure would be applied in a week. By eliminating the VAT, the prices of new apartments and homes will fall by 4.8% for first-time buyers and by 16% for people buying a home for the second time or more.

Currently, Romania applies a 5% VAT on purchasing a home for the first time and a 19% VAT on purchasing a home for the second time. (Romania Libera)

  Romania Faces 22nd Day Of Anti-Government Protests

Although the Parliament rejected emergency ordinance no. 13 decriminalizing abuse of office, 400 people still took to the streets calling on the Grindeanu Cabinet to resign.

Some 400 people gathered Tuesday evening in Victoriei Square, despite the fact that the controversial emergency decree no. 13 was rejected by Parliament. Protesters shouted “Resignation, resignation!”.

Romania’s social democrat government led by Sorin Grindeanu recently survived a no-confidence vote in Parliament, amid ample street protests countrywide that have been going on for more than a week. The cabinet’s adoption of a decree in January decriminalizing abuse of office sparked the largest street protests since the collapse of the communist regime. (Evenimentul Zilei)

PNL Interim Head Turcan Accuses Absence Of PSD Head Dragnea In Voting Room   The interim president of the National Liberal Party, Raluca Turcan, on Tuesday said she did not see the head of the Social Democratic Party (PSD), Liviu Dragnea, in the voting room.   She also said the “epopee of the two ordinances, no. 13 and 14”, seems to have ended.

Turcan stressed that the resignation of the Grindeanu Government is “the solution the ruling coalition must embrace so that international partners can trust Romania and see it as a loyal and solid partner in the large European and international family it is part of.” (Romania Libera)

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