Report: Romania Fails To Fully Comply With Minimum Standards For Elimination Of Human Trafficking
Romania is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to labor trafficking and women and children subjected to sex trafficking, according to a report of the United States Department of State.
Romanians represent a significant source of sex and labor trafficking victims in Western Europe (particularly the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, and France) and Central and Southern Europe (particularly the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Greece).
The Romanian government did not provide funding to NGOs offering victim assistance, and victims had difficulty obtaining medical services, psychological counseling, and restitution from traffickers. Some victims who had been returned to their homes by the government, instead of being placed in shelters, were subjected to trafficking again by family members. (Puterea)
Romania Celebrates National Ambulance Day On July 28
Romania celebrates the National Ambulance Day on Tuesday, July 28, and festivities start at 9 a.m. in Bucharest’s Constitutiei Square.
Doctor Cristian Grasu, medical director of the Bucharest – Ilfov Ambulance Service (SABI), will present the history of the ambulance service and talk about the adoption of Law no. 22/2015 as regards declaring July 28 the National Ambulance Day.
SABI manager, dr Alis Grasu, will present the national fleet of the public ambulance services, the personnel and the number of interventions in the first half of 2015. (Adevarul)
Romania Loses EUR3B In EU Funds For Highway Works
Romania’s Transport Ministry did not know how to use RON1 billion to attract EUR3 billion, therefore, the Sebes-Turda and Lugoj-Deva first and second highway sections, and the Campia Turzii – Targu Mures sections are the main works affected by this situation.
The ministry lost RON1 billion at the budget revision, which was to be used to co-finance projects carried out with external non-reimbursable funds and which were supposed to bring EUR3 billion to Romania.
Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici recently told an interview that he is deeply disappointed by the way the Transport Ministry spends the money assigned to it. He said the ministry either fails to spend the money it receives or asks for more money. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Ponta Cabinet Convenes Tuesday For Talks On Budget Revision
Prime Minister Victor Ponta and his Cabinet ministers meet Tuesday at the presidential Victoria Palace for the last talks on this year’s first budget revision.
Ponta and Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici recently presented the budget revision draft at the meeting of social democrat leaders and within the ruling coalition.
“According to the state budget law, approved by Romania’s Parliament following consultations with international institutions, Romania was supposed to register a deficit of RON13 billion in the first half of 2015, namely, to spend more than it collects. In the first six months, Romania reported a surplus of RON4 billion, which means it did not spend more than it collected, but it collected more than it spent,” Ponta explained. (Adevarul)
Ponta No Longer Wants To Run For PM In 2016
Victor Ponta told an interview for Antena 3 on Monday that he no longer wants to run for prime minister at the parliamentary elections due in 2016.
“I will no longer run for prime minister in 2016. I think that five years in office is an important term,” said Ponta.
He also said he wants the political parties forming the current ruling coalition to win again the majority in 2016, adding some of his colleagues are capable of running the government. (Romania Libera)