Romania Industrial Sales Up 8.9% On Year In January-September
In the first nine months of 2014, Romanian industrial sales rose 8.9% on the year, according to data released by the statistics institute INS.
Industrial sales rose rose 18.3% in September, after a 12.3% decline in the previous month.
Sales in the manufacturing sector went up 18.7% on the month in September, while mining sales increased 6.2%, the data showed.
By segment, energy sales declined 2.7% month-on-month, but all the other sectors posted significant gains. Sales of capital goods and durable goods rose 47.3% and 17.1%, respectively, while sales of intermediate and consumer goods increased by 13.7% and 6.2% compared with August. (Puterea)
Fuel Prices Double Between 2009 And 2014 In Romania
The gasoline price rose by over 100% between 2009 and 2014 in Romania, while diesel oil price rose 72%, both higher compared with the neighbor countries.
The higher prices were triggered by the increase of international crude oil price, as well as the tax hikes.
Gasoline price doubled between 2009 and 2014, from RON2.8 per liter (EUR0.66) to RON5.9 per liter (EUR1.32), while the diesel oil price rose 72%, from RON3.3 (EUR0.79) to RON6.1 (EUR1.36) per liter. Thus, fuel costs more in Romania than in Bulgaria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and even Austria, according to European Commission data. (Adevarul)
Posta Romana Distributed Over 10.7 Million Health Cards
Romanian state-owned postal operator Posta Romana has delivered so far over 10.7 million health cards to beneficiaries, thus, the card distribution rate via postal services is at approximately 95% countrywide.
In the capital city, Bucharest, the postal service took over 1.4 million health cards, out of which 1.1 million have already been delivered to Romanians. Thus, 81% of insured Bucharest citizens have received the health cards so far.
According to the country’s health insurance house CNAS, the health card distribution process via postal services will end by December 15, 2014. (Romania Libera)
Foreign Tourist Arrivals In Romania Higher On The Year In 2014
Romania attracted more foreign tourists in 2014, compared with the previous year, most of them from Germany, Italy, Israel, France, the United States, Hungary, and Great Britain.
An expansion of the 9% VAT for more types of accommodation, the construction of highways and the drawing of more foreign investors would trigger a substantial growth of the tourism sector in Romania and implicitly a higher contribution of the sector to the gross domestic product, according to Lucia Morariu, president of the National Association of Tour Operators (ANAT), quoted by Agerpres. (Jurnalul National)
Catalin Predoiu: PM, Bribed To OK Memorandum With KazMunaiGaz
The prime vice-president of the Liberal Democratic Party (PDL), Catalin Predoiu, claimed that Prime Minister Victor Ponta was bribed to approve the memorandum by which Romania gave up the $400 million debts for Rompetrol, which should have been recovered from KazMunaiGaz.
“I’m asking (Victor Ponta – e.n.) whether he signed the Memorandum on KazMunaiGaz debt. I’m asking him if he negotiated the bribe for KazMunaiGaz in Dubai,” Catalin Predoiu said Sunday in a press conference.
Predoiu said he won’t offer further details “for the moment”, adding that “all questions start from a piece of information.” (Puterea)