Senators Call For Wealth Statements From Bank Managers
Several senators propose people on the boards of banks and companies in which the state has a stake should submit statements of wealth and interests.
The rule currently applies to members of the management at banks and companies where the state has a large stake or the majority stake.
The bill is currently up for public consultations in the Senate. (Romania Libera)
Number Of Real Estate Deals Down In 1Q
The number of real estate deals in Romania fell by over 7,000, to 199,122 in the first three months of 2015, compared to the same period a year before, the national cadastre agency ANCPI said Friday.
In March alone, the number of real estate transactions stood at 78,962, up by 13,700 on the month and also up by 590 on the year.
The most deals in the first three months were closed in capital Bucharest (17,471), and counties Ilfov (12,361) and Timis (9,753), while the lowest number of deals was registered in counties Valcea (2,021), Bistrita-Nasaud (1,894) and Covasna (1,792).
In March, the most real estate deals were closed in Bucharest – 7,516, Ilfov – 5,231 and Timis – 4,292.
The number of mortgages registered with the agency in the first three months stood at 37,503, up by approximately 7,000 compared with January-March 2014. (Adevarul)
Isarescu: Some Banks Cut Deposit Rates Too Much
Some banks have cut the interest rates at deposits too much, due to the liquidity surplus, but lenders still have room to reduce interest rates on loans, Romania’s central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said Friday.
The governor said other banks proved they had a longer-term vision and kept interest rates for attracted funds close to 2%.
This week, the central bank cut its main interest rate by 25 basis points to a record low of 1.75%. It also reduced the minimum required reserve ratio for leu deposits by two percentage points, at 8%, a measure that will free up some 3 billion lei (EUR675 million). (Puterea)
Subsidies Make Agriculture An Appealing Job
Agriculture and farming are becoming increasingly appealing to people who wish to work in a rural environment.
Even though farming isn’t among the most profitable activities, higher subsidies, especially those paid by the European Union and Romanians’ increasing interest for locally sourced food, encourage entrepreneurs to invest in agriculture. (Romania Libera)