New Cabinet’s Ministers Still Pending Appointment
Romania’s new Government, led by Prime Minister Victor Ponta, received a confidence vote in Parliament Tuesday, as lawmakers voted 346 to 192 to instate the new Cabinet.
Nevertheless, President Traian Basescu said he won’t sign the decrees for appointment until clearing up the issues related to the ruling program. Moreover, he offered two options to the PM: either wait for Constitutional Court’s decision on the notification filed by PDL and PMP, claiming that the provisions in the agreement with UDMR are not included in the ruling program, or take responsibility for the document, and then the new ministers would be quickly appointed. (Gandul)
NIS Petrol Mulls Gas Stations Takeover In Romania
Oil company NIS Petrol, a unit of Russian group Gazprom Neft, plans several gas station acquisitions in Romania, informing Petrom and the other oil companies on the market about the intention, Ileana Sorina Baltatu, CEO of NIS Petrol Distributie in Romania, stated.
Baltatu said the company currently owns 15 gas stations and plans to double the current number by the end of the year, and also targets a 10% market share after 2015. (Adevarul)
Romania, Among The Least Russian Gas-Dependent States In The Region
Russian gas covers over 80% of consumption for 10 European states, including Bulgaria, Serbia and the Republic of Moldova, while Romania is among the least gas-dependent countries in the region, jointly with Great Britain or France.
Last year, around 20% of Romania’s gas consumption was covered by Russian imports, while the rest came from local production.
Serbia, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland and Belarus are almost 100% dependent on Russian gas imports, according to Gazprom and Morgan Stanley data, quoted by The Guardian. (Curentul)
PNL President Resigns From Senate Chairman Position
PNL president Crin Antonescu announced in the Parliament that he resigned from the position of Senate chairman asking PM Victor Ponta to also resign from the position obtained following USL alliance.
“Mr. Victor Ponta, you see in my presence as Senate chairman the sign that USL still exists. Well, I’m telling you, USL no longer exists. (…) Let’s both resign from the positions obtained following USL alliance,” Antonescu said. (Romania Libera)
New Fiscal Code Amendments On Debt Recovery
According to the new Fiscal Code amendments, Romanian state can only recover debts from companies after a 30-day prior notice before seizure or blocking bank accounts.
“For the recovery of debts, debtors’ bank accounts can be blocked (…) only after a 30-day prior notice,” according to the law. (Curierul National)
Football Heavyweights Get Prison Sentences In Player Transfer Case
Eight Romanian football high officials were sentenced definitively to prison Tuesday, on charges of fraud in transfers of football players.
Mihai Stoica, general manager of football club FC Steaua, has been sentenced Tuesday to three and a half years in prison.
Former football manager Ioan Becali was sentenced to six years and four months in prison, football manager Victor Becali to four years and eight months in prison, former FC Rapid owner George Copos to three years and eight months in prison, Gheorghe Netoiu, former shareholder of FC Dinamo and U Craiova, to three years and four months in prison, former FC Gloria Bistrita president Jean Padureanu got three years and four months in prison, former football player Gheorghe Popescu received three years, one month and ten days in prison and former FC Dinamo shareholder Cristian Borcea was sentenced to six years and four months in prison. (Evenimentul Zilei)