August 1, 2022 UPDATE

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Newsroom, 01.08.2022, 20:00

Tax — Part of the amendments made to the Fiscal Code, which were approved in mid-July by the Romanian Government, came into force on Monday. Among them – the increase in excise duties for cigarettes and tobacco, as well as for alcohol and alcoholic products, higher taxes on gambling winnings and lower ceilings for granting tax exemptions for salaries in constructions, agriculture and the food industry. Other changes to the Fiscal Code, most of which have already been adopted, will be applied as of January 1, 2023.

Exercise — The city port of Constanţa (south-east) is hosting as of Monday a multinational exercise organized by the Romanian Naval Forces. The exercise takes place in maritime districts off the Romanian Black Sea Coast and in the military port of Constanţa. 240 Romanian soldiers and 60 foreign soldiers from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, France, Georgia, the United States and Turkey are participating in the exercise. The exercise contributes to increasing the level of training in the combat against makeshift bombs and against mines, as well as to strengthening interoperability between the participating forces.

Statistics – In Romania, the unemployment rate in the month of June slightly decreased as compared to the previous month, from 5.4% to 5.3%. The National Institute of Statistics – INS estimates that the number of unemployed people was almost 440,000, down both from May 2022 and from June 2021. The unemployment rate for men slightly exceeded that of women, and many young people do not have a job – almost 23 % – the INS also announced. On the other hand, according to Eurostat, the unemployment rate in the European Union countries remained stable at the level of 6% as recorded in May, which was a historic low. The labor market is benefiting from the relaunch of the European economy, which is recovering from the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The member states with the lowest unemployment rates are the Czech Republic and Poland. At the opposite pole are Spain and Greece, the only EU countries with a double-digit unemployment rate.

Covid – More than 5,200 new cases of SARS-CoV—2 infection were registered in the last 24 hours in Romania, out of 14,900 tests, the authorities announced on Monday. At the same time, 12 deaths were reported. Currently, in specialized health units, the number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients is over 4,150. Also, about 260 patients are in Intensive Care.

Chişinău — The Moldovan Prime Minister Natalia Gavriliţa on Monday met with the new Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Romania to the Republic of Moldova (an ex-Soviet state with a majority Romanian-speaking population), Cristian-Leon Ţurcanu, in the context of the start of his mission in Chişinău. According to a press release of the Moldovan government, Natalia Gavriliţa thanked the Romanian Government for supporting Moldova’s European integration and for the constant support offered in overcoming multiple crises. During the talks, the Romanian official reiterated Romania’s support for strengthening national energy security and its readiness to provide the necessary assistance in overcoming logistical challenges. Cristian-Leon Ţurcanu has recently ended his mandate as Ambassador of Romania to Kyiv.

Cereals – The European Union and NATO welcomed, on Monday, the departure of the first ship carrying cereals from Ukraine and demanded the “full application” of the agreement concluded in Istanbul for the resumption of Ukrainian exports — AFP reports. A first ship left the Ukrainian port of Odessa on Monday with 26,000 tons of corn on board, heading for Lebanon. Before arriving there, however, it is to be inspected in Istanbul, under the authority of the Joint Coordination Center (CCC), inaugurated last Wednesday. The agreement was signed on July 22 by Russia and Ukraine, with the mediation of Turkey and the United Nations. Turkey and the UN allow the resumption of Ukrainian exports under international supervision. In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelensky estimated that, following the Russian invasion, this years cereal crops in Ukraine could be diminished by half. Before the launch of the Russian invasion on February 24, Ukraine held 46% of the worlds sunflower exports, 9% of the wheat exports, 17% of the barley exports and 12% of the corn exports, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Census – 18.15 million people, i.e. more than 95% of the estimated targeted resident population of Romania on December 1, 2021, were counted, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) informed on Monday. Sunday was the last day, after the INS had already extended twice the review period, to give additional time to those who could not do it for various reasons. The capital and the big cities had the lowest review percentages. The final data of the census will be made public at the end of next year. This was the first census in Romania organized entirely in digital format, the 13th census in history and the 4th after the 1989 Revolution.

Airport — Băneasa Airport, in the north of Bucharest, reopened on Monday. For nine years, the airport was closed to commercial flights and underwent a program of modernization of buildings and equipment. On Băneasa airport, the time required for the formalities will be less than an hour, unlike Otopeni Airport, where passengers must go at least two hours before boarding. Băneasa Airport was inaugurated in 1920, but its history begins on August 1, 1912, when the Romanian Aviation League, led by Prince George Valentin Bibescu, establishes, in Băneasa, a flight school for military pilots.