Half Of Romania Under Code Red Alert For Floods
Heavy rainfall flooded hundreds of households in western and northern Romania and the disaster does not stop here.
Several counties in the regions of Banat and Moldavia are under code red warning for floods due to some rivers overflowing their banks after heavy rainfalls on Monday and Tuesday.
Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said the government was going to approve a decision the following week whereby it would grant financial aid to people affected by floods. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Government Approves Emergency Ordinance Amending Tax Code
The Romanian Government approved, in its Tuesday meeting, an emergency ordinance amending the Tax Code so that Romanians who return real estate collateral to banks in exchange for writing off their loans will be exempted from paying the tax on property transfer.
The measure applies once, when returning real estate collateral to banks for the first time, even if the loan is guaranteed with one or more real estate properties.
The new regulations are stipulated in an emergency ordinance adopted Tuesday, which amends and completes the Tax Code and whose aim is to protect natural persons who resort to the debt discharge law in a very difficult economic situation.
The law on debt discharge came into force on May 13, after the bill was signed into law by Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and published in the Official Gazette. The law on debt discharge allows retail mortgage borrowers to return real estate collateral to banks in exchange for writing off their loans. (Adevarul)
Romania May Cut VAT In Agricultural Sector To 9% As Of August 1
The value added tax for agricultural works, as well as for the delivery of inputs needed in the agricultural sector, such as seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, is likely to drop to 9%, from the current 20%, starting August 1, 2016.
„I am hoping the Finance Ministry came up with these propositions we talked about in the past. It is about propositions of fiscal facilities which, without having a significant impact on the state budget, may stimulate the economic growth and the development of the productive or innovative activity. I am thinking about measures targeting the agricultural sector,” said Ciolos.
The government also plans to eliminate the tax paid by research staff. (Evenimentul Zilei)
UNPR Lost 15 Lawmakers In 24 Hours
The Social Democratic Party (PSD) has started to recruit more and more senators and deputies of the National Union for Romania’s Progress (UNPR).
Fifteen UNPR lawmakers have left the party in less than 24 hours to join PSD.
Party switching comes in the context in which UNPR is close to sealing the fusion through absorption with the National Liberal Party (PNL) and PSD does not want to let PNL form a majority in Parliament.
The congress for unification through absorption with UNPR was scheduled for July 16, according to liberal sources. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Government Adopts Measures To Reduce Bureaucracy
The Romanian government adopted, in its Tuesday meeting, a set of measures aimed at reducing bureaucracy.
The measures target, among others, to eliminate legalized copies for various documents, passing the criminal record from one institution to another, as well as the possibility to send a copy of an identity card through e-mail.
Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos said people would also be able to pay their taxes and various financial obligations by card, both at local tax offices and at the Treasury.
Ciolos pointed out the measures adopted by the Executive are meant to gradually simplify the lives of citizens and taxpayers. (Puterea)