Romanian Finance Minister Darius Valcov Resigns
Romanian Finance Minister Darius Valcov, who is currently under investigation, resigned after President Klaus Iohannis on Sunday said he expects him to resign.
Valcov is currently investigated by anti-corruption prosecutors for taking bribe while he was the mayor of Slatina town.
Prime Minister Victor Ponta accepted his resignation and will make a proposal to replace Valcov soon, the PM posted on his Facebook page.
“I asked mister Valcov to complete works at new Tax Codes that are absolutely fundamental for accelerating economic growth and fiscal relaxation that we need,” the PM posted on Facebook. (Adevarul)
Romania’s Crude Oil Imports At 492,700 Toe In January
Romania imported in January a quantity of crude oil of 492,700 tons of oil equivalent (toe), down 15.5% on the year, according to the data of National Statistics Institute (INS).
At the same time, crude oil production totaled 318,400 toe in January, down 1.9% on the year. Last year, crude oil imports totaled 6.727 million toe, up 27% compared with 2013. Crude oil production totaled 3.788 million toe in 2014, down 2% on the year.
Thus, based on the annual average production and a constant decline in proven reserves, Romania’s current crude oil reserves could finish in approximately 23 years, according to Romania’s Energy Strategy Draft for 2015-2035. (Adevarul)
Vacation Package Prices Down 10% If Cutting VAT For Travel Agencies To 9%
The prices of local and international vacation packages will decrease by 10% if the value-added tax for travel agencies is cut to 9% in the upcoming period, according to Alin Burcea, prime vice-president of National Travel Agencies Association (ANAT).
Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta stated last Thursday that the government plans to cut VAT to 9% for the tourism sector. According to Burcea, the VAT cut would support the development of travel agencies and vacation packages will be 10% lower, given that international tourism is more and more expensive.(Puterea)
Dutch Parliament Opposes Romania Schengen Zone Entry “For The Moment”
The Dutch Parliament remains opposed to Romania joining the European Union’s open border area known as Schengen “for the moment”, as Romania has not fulfilled yet the initial demands for becoming a EU member state, Dutch ambassador Matthijs van Bonzel told Realitatea TV.
The ambassador also mentioned other issues, such as the recovery of only 10% of illegal fortunes by the Romanian state. Bonzel said that, at the moment of EU accession, Romania “was ready from many points of view, except for the essential ones,” namely the legislation, the judiciary, the efficiency and impartiality in implementing laws, or institutional corruption. (Puterea)
Nearly 40% Of Romanian Citizen Under Risk Of Poverty, Social Exclusion
Approximately 40% of Romanian citizens are under risk of poverty and social exclusion, and Romania ranks second in this respect, after Bulgaria, while the European average is at 25%, according to Phil Hogan, European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development.
According to Hogan, poverty is mainly concentrated in rural areas, due to poor infrastructure and the lack of job opportunities. Hogan stated that he had talks with European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu and they are trying together to find solutions for the rural areas. (Puterea)