Eurostat: Romania Posts Second Lowest Annual Inflation Rate In The EU, In February 2017
Romania registered the second lowest annual inflation rate among EU member states, of 0.5%, according to data published on Thursday by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union.
In February 2017, the lowest annual inflation rates were registered in Ireland (0.3%), Romania (0.5%), Bulgaria and Denmark (both 0.9%). The highest annual rates were recorded in Estonia (3.4%), Belgium (3.3%), Latvia and Lithuania (both 3.2%). Compared with January 2017, annual inflation fell in three Member States and rose in twenty-four.
The largest upward impacts to euro area annual inflation came from fuels for transport (+0.60 percentage points), vegetables (+0.25 pp) and heating oil (+0.16 pp), while telecommunication (-0.10 pp), garments (-0.07 pp) and gas (-0.06 pp) had the biggest downward impacts. (mediafax.ro)
State Budget Could Get More Than EUR100M In 2017 By Lowering Cigarette Smuggling
The lowering of illicit cigarette trade by 3% could bring over EUR100 million to the state budget this year, the vice-president of Romanian tax authority ANAF, Dorel Fronea, said Thursday.
“I am sure we can lower (e.n. – cigarette smuggling) to 13.5%. One percent of cigarette smuggling accounts for EUR37-38 million. We can do that. For example, in 2010, illicit cigarette trade represented 36% of the consumption. In June 2011, it reached 11.8%. Then, it went up. In January we managed to lower the illicit cigarette trade to 16.2%. If we take integrated measures (…) we can definitely lower illicit cigarette trade this year,” said Fronea, who is also the coordinator of the Romanian customs structures.
Fronea also said that the dissolving of the Customs Authority was a mistake.
The cigarette black market reaches 10% in the European Union. (mediafax.ro)
Angela Merkel Expected To Meet With Vladimir Putin In Moscow On May 2
German Chancellor Angela Merkel will pay an official visit to Russia on May 2, for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, according to Le Figaro website.
“Give my best wishes to the federal chancellor. We are waiting for her to visit on May 2,” Putin told Horst Seehofer, Bavaria’s prime minister, who was in Moscow for talks on Thursday.
Merkel’s latest visit to Moscow took place on May 10, 2015. (mediafax.ro)
Health Minister: Lung Transplant Center Inoperative Yet
Romanian Health Minister Florian Bodog said that the lung transplant center does not have all the necessary elements to function yet.
Bodog, who is also a surgeon, said that the patients cannot get a safe lung transplant in the center yet, as it does not have a specialist who made a lung transplant by himself before.
The minister added that the transplant center will not become operational until he has all guarantees for its functioning.
In November 2016, former Health Minister Vlad Voiculescu, said that there are suspicions that the lung transplant center at Sf. Maria hospital could be accredited following political pressures. (mediafax.ro)
Two Employees Of Craiova Blood Transfusion Center Under Preventive Arrest For Blood Trafficking
Two employees of Craiova Regional Blood Transfusion Center, Cristian Cosmin Magaon and Mihaela Oprisan, were preventively arrested for 30 days on charges of blood trafficking, according to the decision of the Dolj Court.
The two employees are charged with taking bribe in exchange for delivering the blood necessary for patient surgery.
Magaon, 24, nurse at the transfusion center, was caught while receiving RON200 from an undercover officer for delivering two units of blood necessary for patient surgery. (mediafax.ro)