Over Seven Million Romanians Get Social Assistance
Over seven million Romanians get social assistance, according to data from the Institute for Public Policies.
Data show that 95% of people on social assistance receive various welfare benefits and only 5% of them get welfare services. (Romania Libera)
Romanian Healthcare Tycoon Commits Suicide
Romanian businessman Ilie Vonica, who owns the Polisano private health group, one of the largest in Romania, allegedly committed suicide by throwing himself from the top floor of his home in Sibiu.
News agencies cited investigators as saying Vonica killed himself and left a five-page letter explaining his decision to end his life.
Vonica’s Reteta pharmacy chain is at the center of a corruption probe involving 1,100 fake prescriptions issued between 2008 and 2010. Prosecutors say the scam cost the state EUR3.5 million.
Nine people including doctors and Vonica’s wife Ioana, who ran the chain, were taken into preventive custody for 30 days on charges of illegally receiving money from the national health insurance house over bogus cancer-drug prescriptions. June 2, the Bucharest Court of Appeals rejected their request to be freed from arrest.
Vonica, a doctor who specialized as a gynecologist, began his healthcare business with his wife in 1993 after the anti-communist revolution, when private health care took off. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Electrica IPO To Kick Off June 16 – Sources
The planned initial public offering of 51% in Romanian state-run electricity distributor and supplier Electrica SA will most likely take place in the June 16-June 25 period, people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
“The most recent and likely timetable indicates that the IPO will unfold between June 16 and June 25, and the shares will be listed on July 3,” the people told Mediafax reporters.
The ministry plans to sell a 51% stake in Electrica this month via a dual initial public offering in Bucharest and London. The authorities hired a consortium comprising BRD, Citigroup, Raiffeisen Capital&Investment, Societe Generale and Swiss Capital to assist with the IPO. (Curierul National)
Economy Minister: Oltchim Won’t Be Shut Down, It Will Eventually Be Privatized
Romanian insolvent chemical company Oltchim SA (OLT.RO) will not be shut down and will be privatized later if government fails to sell it on June 6, Economy Ministry Constantin Nita said Tuesday.
“Oltchim represents an objective for the government. If we fail to privatize it on June 6, we will do it another time. (…) Nobody should imagine we will shut down the plant,” Nita told an energy forum.
Nita also said Oltchim should no longer register losses, thus, they should manage to get financing to start operations at one or two production lines.
Oltchim, majority owned by the Economy Ministry, halted operations in August 2012 in preparation for a privatization attempt, which failed after the auction winner refused to pay the price agreed with the authorities. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Chamber Of Deputies Rejects Bill Allowing Mining In Rosia Montana
Romania’s Chamber of Deputies rejected Tuesday a bill that would have allowed the mining of gold and silver in Rosia Montana, western Romania.
The bill was rejected with 301 to 11 votes and three abstentions.
Several lawmakers said the decision also considered the civil society’s ample protest actions against the mining project.
The Chamber of Deputies has the final say on this bill, which the Senate also rejected. (Jurnalul National)