Romanians Buy Worst Foods To Save Money

Experts say Romanians choose the worst food products, focusing on quantity, not quality.   At the end of February, Romanian authorities also said they created a work group aimed at checking on a potential difference in quality of products sold on the East-European and Western markets.   The group includes representatives of the National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Authority and of the Agriculture Ministry and the Consumer Protection Authority.  

Romania is deemed a second-hand market where consumers buy cheap products, but consumers are the ones having to reject cheap items, because producers offer what the market demands, according to Sorin Minea, president of Romalimenta Federation. (Adevarul)

Construction Of Transylvania Highway Continues   The constructors of highway sections linking Targu Mures to Campia Turzii will be receiving the environmental permits, in the upcoming period.

The National Road Infrastructure Administration Company is starting to make payments for Transylvania Highway, the section between Campia Turzii-Targu Mures. Straco Grup cashes some EUR9.5 million for the construction of 15.7 km of Transylvania highway. At the beginning of this month, Straco invoiced RON42.29 million for design and execution works on the Brasov-Targu Mures-Cluj-Oradea highway, the 2A section: Ogra-Campia Turzii, the third section.

In February 2015, Straco Grup concluded a contract with officials of the national roads company for design and execution works of 15.7 km of Transylvania highway, in the amount of RON279.7 million, VAT not included. (Capital)

EU Court Of Justice: VAT On Electronic Books And Publications Must Not Be Lowered

European Union member states must apply a standard VAT rate on electronic books and publications, instead of applying a reduced rate on printed books and publications.

The Court of Justice of the European Union was called to interpret the EU provisions regarding the value added tax by the Constitutional Court in Poland, which questioned whether this system allows the implementation of a reduced VAT only on printed publications.

The EU Court of Justice said that excluding digital publications from a reduced VAT rate is a consequence of the specific VAT system for e-commerce and, therefore, the EU28 cannot apply a lower VAT rate on e-books. (Evenimentul Zilei)

PWC Partner: Nearly 70% Of Farms In Romania Register Income Below EUR2,000/Year

Romania places sixth in the European Union by used agricultural area, of 13.9 million hectares, and generates the biggest value added to GDP in the EU, but, in terms of yield, the country is way behind the EU average, according to a study by PWC, one of the largest financial audit and fiscal consulting firms.

A Romanian invests, on average, EUR850 per hectare, half the EU average, and only 2% of farms have their own tractors.

PWC partner, Bogdan Belciu, said the average invested capital per hectare reaches EUR850, which is half the capital invested by Bulgaria and Polonia, and a fifth of Italy’s invested capital per hectare. Also, only 2% of farms have tractors they can use, unlike 84% of farms in the Czech Republic.

  Nearly 85% of the total workforce in the agricultural sector is unpaid (working on one’s own subsistence farm). By contrast, the average share of unpaid workers in the agricultural sector in the EU reaches 72%, and even way lower in some countries (Spain- 50%, France – 63,1%, Germany – 55,8%), according to PWC. (Romania Libera)   PM Grindeanu Appoints New State Secretaries At Ministries Of Tourism, Environment, Energy       Prime Minister Sorin Grindeanu on Tuesday appointed state secretaries at the ministries of Tourism, Environment and Energy.

Gheorghe Bogdan Tomoiaga was appointed at the Tourism Ministry, George Constantin Uricec was appointed at the Environment Ministry and Andrei Petrisor Maioreanu was appointed new state secretary at the Energy Ministry.

Also, Ciprian Pandea was appointed state undersecretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sport. (Evenimentul Zilei)

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