August 8, 2017 UPDATE
A roundup of domestic and international news
Newsroom, 08.08.2017, 19:55
PARLIAMENT– The two chambers of the Romanian Parliament convened in a special session on Tuesday. The agenda included the emergency ordinances that the Government formed by the Social Democratic Party and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats in Romania passed last week, and which need to be endorsed by Parliament before they can take effect. These legislative acts concern the capping of special pensions in the defence, public order and judicial sectors, as well as of child allowances, and the raise of police staff salaries. The Liberals, in the opposition, argue that the legal requirements for the Chamber of Deputies to convene were not met, and threaten to notify the Constitutional Court in this respect.
UNIONS– The Romanian Justice Minister Tudorel Toader had a meeting on Tuesday with representatives of penitentiary trade unions. He said he would personally coordinate the National Penitentiary Agency and would have weekly meetings with the representatives of prison personnel to find solutions to their demands. Trade union leader Sorin Dumitraşcu said the Justice Minister promised to have a meeting this week with the Prime Minister, in order to discuss the granting of up to 15% bonuses to penitentiary personnel, who have not been included in the categories of public sector staff benefiting from pay raises. Unionists also demand the improvement of work standards, solutions to the issue of personnel shortage, the reorganisation of prisons and the building of new ones. Penitentiary employees intend to stage street protests next week, over inadequate working conditions. They have been on a work-to-rule strike since August 1. We recall that the improvement of detention conditions in Romania is a requirement set out by the European Court for Human Rights.
DIPLOMACY – On Tuesday, the Romanian Prime Minister Mihai Tudose met with the US Ambassador to Bucharest Hans Klemm. The two officials discussed bilateral cooperation and the situation in the region. According to governmental sources, the two dwelled on the role that Romania is playing on NATOs eastern flank, the US companies growing interest in our country and the situation in the neighbouring Republic of Moldova. Also, the two tackled the Romanian officials decision to spend 2% of the GDP on army equipment.
INFLATION– The National Bank of Romania adjusted the inflation forecast for end-2017 from 1.6% up to 1.9%, the central bank governor Mugur Isarescu announced on Tuesday, when he presented the Inflation Report. For next year as well, the National Bank raised its inflation forecast to 3.2%, up from the previously estimated rate of 3.1%.Isarescu explained that the changes were triggered by the fiscal policy, by the increase in foodstuff prices as well as by the political tensions in June, which temporarily affected the exchange rate for the national currency.
FUEL TAXATION – The Romanian Government wants to amend the Fiscal Code again, proposing, among other things, an increase in excise duties, a measure which would resume fuel prices valid in late 2016. According to a fresh draft decree, diesel taxation will go up by 24.9%, while duties on led-free petrol will grow by 22.8%, as of September 1st. Authorities say that the measure is necessary, given that collections have dropped and the prices in Romania are among the lowest in the EU. Transporters are extremely unhappy with this decision and threaten with protests. The Governor of the National Bank of Romania Mugur Isarescu has warned that such an increase in fuel taxation will trigger a growth in the inflation rate.
DEFENCE– The Romanian Defence Minister, Adrian Ţuţuianu, and Gen. Nicolae Ciucă, General Chief of Staff, had talks in Bucharest with the head of the Alabama National Guard, Major Gen. Sheryl Gordon, who is on a visit to Romania. The talks approached the regional security environment, particularly in the Black Sea region, the strategic partnership between the US and Romania, and the planned equipment spending for the Romanian Army. Ţuţuianu has recently announced that the Plan for military equipment procurement has been approved, and reiterated that Romania was committed to earmarking 2% of the GDP to the defence sector, as it has undertaken in its capacity as a NATO member state. During his visit to Romania, the recently appointed chief of the ANG, Major Gen. Sheryl Gordon, will take part in an exercise of the Romanian mountain troops and will visit the “Getica” Joint Training Centre in Cincu, Brasov County.
WEATHER– A new heat wave is expected to hit Romania on Wednesday. Meteorologists have issued a code yellow alert for nine counties in the west, north-west and south-west. Also, on Thursday, a code orange alert for heat and thermal discomfort will be issued, for six counties in the west and south west. Another 13 counties in the western half of the country will be under code yellow alert for severe heat. For the next two weeks, weather experts expect the weather to alternate between highs of 34 degrees Celsius and rainfalls in most regions.
