Nuland: Corruption Is A Matter Of National Security
Victoria Nuland, Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs at the United States Department of State, on Wednesday met Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, saying that things got better since her last visit to Bucharest, warning at the same time that corruption is a matter of national security.
Nuland noticed considerable progress as regards certain aspects of the rule of law, such as giving up the amnesty law or the consensus for assigning 2% of the GDP for Defense, as well as the improvement of the “Romanian political culture”.
On the other hand, the assistant to the US secretary of state said there is still much left to be done, such as reducing the number of emergency ordinances or setting up a functional Fiscal Code, adding that this would be a new political beginning for Romania. (Evenimentul Zilei)
First Home Program Gets RON2.5B For Guarantees This Year
This year’s government-guaranteed mortgage lending First Home program will have a maximum guarantee budget of RON2.5 billion plus funds left unused last year, the government decided Wednesday.
Until fall last year, the national guarantee fund granted around 126,200 guarantees for loans contracted in 2009-2014, backing financing of around EUR4.8 billion. In January-September last year, the number of guarantees stood at around 20,500, for financing of EUR736 million. (Jurnalul National)
ASF Eases Conditions For Setting Up RCA Tariffs
Romania’s financial watchdog ASF removed from the legislation the obligation of insurers to set up tariffs for the mandatory car insurance policies (RCA) that would cover all engagements resulting from the closing of contracts; thus the RCA tariffs might lower.
According to ASF, the removed provision was often mentioned as the main factor for the high tariffs.
Finance Minister Darius Valcov on Saturday asked ASF to reassess the RCA system for people younger than 25, as most of them cannot afford to pay tariffs exceeding RON2,000 (EUR445). (Adevarul)
Iohannis Names Leonard Orban, Simina Tanasescu And Mihaela Ciochina As Presidential Counselors
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis on Wednesday appointed Leonard Orban, Elena Simina Tanasescu and Mihaela Ciochina as presidential counselors.
Former EU Commissioner Leonard Orban on January 6 resigned from the position of chairman of the Board of Directors of the European Institute of Romania, as political sources told Mediafax he would be one of the presidential counselors.
Simina Tanasescu has a PhD in constitutional law and is deputy dean of the Faculty of Law at Bucharest University while Mihaela Ciochina was general manager of the legislative department in the Romanian Senate. ( Puterea)
Supreme Court To Rule In Klaus Iohannis’ Incompatibility Case On January 21
The Supreme Court on Wednesday postponed for January 21 the ruling in the incompatibility case of President Klaus Iohannis, for holding the position of mayor of Sibiu city and representative in the meetings of the shareholders of Sibiu sewage, water and markets administration companies.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday tried the appeal filed by the National Integrity Agency (ANI) in the incompatibility file of Iohannis, after Alba Iulia Court of Appeals ruled Iohannis was not in a state of office incompatibility. (Evenimentul Zilei)