Number Of Romanian Drug Addicts Infected With Hepatitis B And HIV Doubled, Report Reveals
Drug consumption in Romania starts at an early age, even from pre-school, and the number of drug addicts infected with hepatitis B and HIV has doubled, according to the latest report of the country’s Antidrug Agency.
The latest official data show a cruel reality in Romania: the minimum age for the start of drug consumption decreased in 2013, compared to the previous year, from the age of 12 to the age of six, according to the national report regarding drug abuse in 2013. (Adevarul)
Regulated Gas Tariffs For Non-Household Consumers To Be Eliminated As Of 2015
Regulated natural gas prices for non-household consumers will be eliminated completely at the beginning of 2015 and users must negotiate new prices with suppliers by December 31, 2014, according to an order of president of Romania’s energy regulator ANRE.
Between November 1 and December 31, suppliers are obliged to notify on a monthly basis, in writing, non-household consumers in their own portfolio, which have not exerted their eligibility right and failed to opt for gas supply in negotiated system, about the fact that regulated prices will be eliminated as of January 1, 2015 and they must conclude new contracts that will include new prices.
The Romanian government has postponed a gas price increase for household consumers set for October, adopting a decision that also stipulates the renegotiation of the gas market deregulation calendar, extending the period until June 30, 2021 for household consumers. (Puterea)
OPEC Secretary General Says No Need To Panic Over Oil Price Decline
There is no need to panic at the recent collapse in oil prices, the secretary general of OPEC said Wednesday, saying low prices would curb competing supplies and require the group to pump far more by the end of the decade.
“We do not see much change in the fundamentals. Demand is still growing, supply is also growing. OPEC is reviewing the situation,” Badri said in London, where he was attending the Oil & Money conference, an annual industry event.
“The most important thing is we should not panic,” he said. “Unfortunately, everybody is panicking. We really need to sit, and think and see how this will develop.”
Oil prices have already taken a hammering in 2014, having slumped nearly 25 percentage points over the past five months. The US investment bank also cut its price forecast for West Texas Intermediate, saying it will dip to $70 between April and June in 2015. WTI was trading at $103 in June. (Evenimentul Zilei)
Romania Climbs Two Spots In World Bank’s Doing Business 2015 Report
Romania climbed two spots and ranks 48th in World Bank’s Doing Business 2015 report, which analyzes the ease of running a business in 189 countries, and is outranked by Rwanda, Bulgaria, and Montenegro, among others.
According to the new methodology, Romania was ranked 50 last year.
The Romanian business environment is less inviting than that in Estonia (17), Latvia (23), Lithuania (24), Macedonia (30), Poland (32), Montenegro (36), Bulgaria (38), the Czech Republic (44), Rwanda (46), according to the report published Wednesday. However, Romania outranks countries like Slovenia (51), Hungary (54), Turkey (55), Italy (56), Greece (61) and Russia (62) in the World Bank’s classification.
Romania ranks first among European countries as regards the improvement of tax payment system, as the government has developed an electronic system for filing and paying corporate income tax, value added tax and all 6 mandatory labor contributions measured by the report. Thus, by January 2013 the majority of firms were making their tax payments online, according to the report.(Romania Libera)
Ruling Coalition Lawmakers Keep Rejecting Talks Regarding Bill On Pardoning
Most ruling coalition lawmakers in Romania’s Chamber of Deputies rejected once again (for the 20th time) the request of opposition liberal and democrat liberal lawmakers to introduce on the agenda and reject definitively the bill on pardoning.
The opposition said no fewer than 52 ruling coalition lawmakers would profit from the bill if adopted in Parliament. Liberal and democrat liberal lawmakers also said the current government majority is waiting for the presidential elections to pass in order to adopt the bill that helps the corrupt go unpunished.
Liberal vice-president Mihai Voicu said the 52 lawmakers voted against introducing the bill on the agenda for fear it might be rejected now. (Puterea)