On Monday and Tuesday, temperatures will be slightly lower than on Sunday. There will be snow and fog. In capital Bucharest, temperatures will be slightly higher as of Saturday, reaching around -5 – -4 degrees Celsius and minimum temperatures will reach -10 degrees. (Puterea)
CFR Calatori Cancels Five Trains Due To Bad Weather Conditions Bad weather conditions prompted Romania’s state-owned passenger railway carrier CFR Calatori to canceled five trains, on Saturday, on routes Mangalia-Constanta, Tulcea Oras-Medgidia, as well Slobozia Veche- Fetesti.Thus, trains regio R 8382 Mangalia – Constanta, R 8652 and R 8655 Tulcea Oras – Medgidia and back, R 8573 and R 8572 Slobozia Veche – Fetesti and back have been canceled.
CFR said no railway lines have been closed and no trains have been blocked, but there are train delays due to bad weather conditions. (Adevarul)
Association: Higher Energy Prices On Spot Market Not Included In Household Bills The recent increase in prices of energy traded on the spot market (the day-ahead market), administered by power exchange OPCOM, will not be included in the bills of household clients.”The prices are spot, it is very difficult to be passed on to end consumers. We must wait a longer period of time. It is very difficult to know that now, as there have been only two weeks (since the cold period started and consumption rose significantly – e.n.),” said Ion Lungu, head of the Association of Electricity Suppliers in Romania (AFEER).
Lungu said it is too early to make estimates and the impact of spot prices is analysed on longer periods, of half a year. On January 1, the highest price reached RON260/MWh. (Adevarul)
Fitch Affirms Romanian City of Bucharest at ‘BBB-‘; Outlook Stable
Fitch Ratings has affirmed the Romanian City of Bucharest’s Long-Term Local and Foreign Currency Issuer Default Ratings (IDRs) at ‘BBB-‘ and Short-Term Foreign Currency IDR at ‘F3’. The Outlooks on the Long-Term IDRs are Stable.The affirmation reflects Bucharest’s strong operating performance supported by its strong tax base and debt and debt servicing ratios in line with the rating. The ratings also consider Bucharest’s function as an economic and financial centre, and wealth far above the national average. They also reflect high investment needs and uncertainties about contingent liabilities.
Fitch’s baseline scenario is that the city’s performance will remain stable in 2017-2018. Bucharest is less reliant on central government VAT transfers and should not be particularly affected by the 4pp cut of the VAT base rate to 20% in 2016. Following the local elections in June 2016, there is a new mayor and some uncertainties remain around capex. The government aims to further develop the city’s infrastructure and particularly general road infrastructure, but the final investment plan for 2017 has not been approved.(Puterea)
Klaus Iohannis Attends Anti-Government Protests In Bucharest President Klaus Iohannis attended the anti-government protests held on Sunday in capital Bucharest.Thousands of Romanians rallied in Bucharest and cities across the country on Sunday to protest against government plans to decriminalize some offences and pardon some convicted prisoners through emergency decrees that critics say threaten to undermine a crackdown on high-level graft.
The new cabinet of Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu last week unveiled the draft decrees that have been criticized by the president, the prosecutor general, the supreme court, the chief anti-corruption prosecutor and the chief of the directorate fighting organized crime, as well as civil rights groups and diplomats.
Iohannis urged the government on Friday to scrap the decrees, which he said would undermine the rule of law and anti-corruption. (Evenimetul Zilei)