Public TV Network’s Board, Senators Approve TV Tax Increase
The management of public TV broadcaster SRTv and senators of the committee for culture, arts and mass media have approved increasing the television tax.
Claudiu Saftoiu, board chairman and general manager of TVR, said the TV tax has not been raised for ten years.
He also said the tax will be raised by a mere RON1 or RON2. (Evenimentul Zilei)
President Basescu Notifies Constitutional Court Of Memorandum With Rompetrol
Romanian President Traian Basescu has notified the Constitutional Court regarding a bill approving a Memorandum of understanding between the state and oil company Rompetrol, signed in Bucharest on February 15, 2013.
The Senate has recently rejected Basescu’s request to reexamine and reject the bill. The Senate had the final say on the matter.
Rompetrol, a unit of Kazakh KazMunayGas, said in February it reached an agreement with government officials to buy back a minority stake in its unit Rompetrol Rafinare (RRC.RO).
Under the agreement, Rompetrol pledges to buy a 26% stake in Rompetrol Rafinare from OPSPI for $200 million.
The two parties also agreed to set up a joint investment fund to be 80%-owned by The Rompetrol Group and 20%-controlled by the Romanian state.
Basescu argues the bill has no general character and is meant to apply to a particular case. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Central Bank’s Chief Says Putting One’s Money In Savings Accounts Abroad Not A Smart Move
Romanian central bank governor Mugur Isarescu said putting our money in savings accounts abroad is not a smart move.
Isarescu advised Romanians to trust the country’s banking system. (Adevarul)
EU Approves EUR2B Precautionary Financial Assistance For Romania
The European Union Council has approved a new EUR2 billion precautionary financial assistance program for Romania in conjunction with a similar two-year loan from the International Monetary Fund.
In September, the IMF has authorized a EUR1.98 billion precautionary credit line for Romania, the third financial package the eastern European country has received in the last four years.
Another EUR1 billion secured under a World Bank loan policy in 2012 was to remain available until December 2015.
The loan package is supplemented by a EUR1 billion loan from the World Bank, on which Romania has just decided to draw EUR700 million.
Romania Gets EUR1.3B From EU To Upgrade Railway, Ports
Romania’s Transport Ministry has been allotted EUR1.3 billion in European funds to upgrade the railway linking Craiova to Calafat, a EUR400 million investment, and modernize 16 ports.
Following negotiations between European Commission representatives and EU member states, EUR10 billion will be transferred from the Cohesion Fund to the EU’s funding mechanism for infrastructure project CEF (Connecting Europe Facility) to speed up works on main transport projects included in the Trans-European Transport Network.
Romania has been allotted EUR1.3 billion, the ministry said in a press release Wednesday.