Food Industry Producers To Pay RON2 Per Kg Of Packaging Waste Not Recycled
The Environment Ministry told food industry producers in Romania that they will have to pay a tax of RON2 per kilogram of packaging waste not recycled, starting February.
Representatives of various companies in the food industry said the tax will not only boost product prices, but it will also reduce exports significantly.
Along with the accession to the European Union, Romania had to adjust to recycling regulations as well.
For each kilogram of packaging, each company in Romania used to pay RON0.65 towards the Organizations for the Transfer of Responsibility, which are responsible with recovering the waste on the market and fulfilling the recycling targets imposed by the European Union. If Romania fails to meet its final recycling objective, then, the penalty will reach up to EUR200,000 per day, am amount which is eventually paid by taxpayers. (Puterea)
Hospital Managers No Longer Punished If They Report Exact Situation Of Nosocomial Infections
Romanian authorities have drafted a national plan of supervision and control, with a view to limiting hospital-acquired infections, and 70 large hospitals in Romania will be assessed, in a first stage, under the new plan.
Moreover, hospital managers will no longer be subject to penalties if they report the exact situation of hospital-acquired infections.
The tragedy at the Colectiv nightclub in Bucharest back in October 2015 brought to light a major problem faced by hospitals in Romania, namely, hospital-acquired infections.
Under the current Romanian legislation, hospital managers are punished when reporting nosocomial infections, therefore, they avoid reporting the exact situation. In order to change this mentality and to stop hiding these problems, the Romanian Health Ministry came up with a national plan of supervision and control of nosocomial infections. Thus, 70 emergency hospitals, medical institutes and county hospitals will be assessed based on questionnaires drawn up by experts. Romanian authorities want all hospitals in Romania to have, in the next five years, a system for the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections. (Adevarul)
Romania Tax Revenues Up 16% On Year To RON19.25B In January
The Romanian tax authority ANAF on Monday said it collected total revenues of RON19.25 billion in January 2016, 14% above the planned amount and 16% higher than the RON16.59 billion collected in the same period in 2015.
According to ANAF, the state budget revenues increased 18% on the year, to RON14.16 billion, in January 2016, which is 22% above the plan.
Collections from the value added tax rose 20% on the year, to RON6.97 billion, in January. The tax authority collected income taxes worth RON2.24 billion in January this year, 2% lower on the year, in line with its expectations. Profit tax revenues amounted to RON451.3 million in January, up 48% on the year, plus an additional RON94 million from economic operators and RON52 million from banks. “Other revenues” added RON1.6 billion to the budget, 15% more than in January 2015 and 52% above the planned amount. Revenues from excise collection increased 29% to RON2.68 billion, due to higher cash-ins from excise duties on tobacco products and on the vice tax. The amounts collected from health insurance rose 13% on the year to RON1.78 billion in January 2016, while revenues to the social security fund grew 9% on the year to RON3.14 billion, but 4% below the planned amount. (Evenimentul Zilei)
PM Ciolos Tells Liberals Again He Won’t Amend Elections Law
The National Liberal Party (PNL) on Monday summoned Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos at the Parliament in order to force the latter into amending the elections law through emergency ordinance.
However, Ciolos ony told liberals once again that if they want mayors to be elected in two rounds, they should reach an agreement with social democrats and amend the law in Parliament.
Ciolos made it very clear that he does not want to get its Cabinet involved in political disputes so that it can carry through its mandate.
Romania’s technocrat government run by Ciolos was instated in November 2015 with a limited mandate until the country holds general elections towards the end of 2016. (Adevarul)
Rovana Plumb Steps Down As President Of PSD National Council
Rovana Plumb has decided to step down as president of the National Council of the Social Democratic Party (PSD).
Plumb said the structure of the National Council changed at the party’s congress in October 2015, both in terms of configuration and functioning.
Little before Pumb’s statement, social democrat lawmaker Constantin Nita, a former energy minister, said he might run for president of the National Council. „It is only a proposition and we shall see if my colleagues agree with it,” said Nita. (Evenimentul Zilei)