February 19, 2015
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Mihai Pelin, 19.02.2015, 12:00
The Romanian government has announced a major fiscal relaxation, due to take effect starting 2016. VAT reduction, lowering contributions to social security funds and the flat tax rate are some of the amendments included in the new Tax and Taxation Procedure Code. Furthermore, the Government is set to reduce fuel and spirits excises, to waive the tax for constructions and dividends, and to implement a differentiated taxation system for micro-enterprises. The liberal opposition has been criticizing the Government s intentions, stating the relaxation was not feasible, at once coming up with a rethinking process for the entire tax system.
Leaders of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and France in a telephone conversation have today agreed to renew their pressure mounted for the implementation of the cease-fire agreement in Ukraine, an agreement the parties involved signed in Minsk on February 12, the French presidency has announced. The four leaders have condemned recent breaches of the truce and agreed that the package of measures adopted in Minsk be fully and strictly enforced. Also, the four leaders recommended the OSCE representatives to meet the parties involved in the conflict, demanding them to rapidly implement those measures. In another move, Ukraine announced it would call for the UN-mandated peace-keepers to be deployed in Ukraine, in order to monitor the observance of the truce. Kiev has made the demand as yesterday Ukrainian servicemen abandoned the strategic town of Debaltseve in the east, which is a railway hub linking the regions of Lugansk and Donetsk, both controlled by pro-Russian secessionists. Russia has opposed the deployment of the European Union or UN-mandated peacekeepers in eastern Ukraine s conflict zone. In the past 24 hours, 14 Ukrainian military have been killed in the clashes with pro-Russian secessionists.
Iulian Hertanu, Prime Minister Victor Pontas brother-in-law is kept in custody for 30 days, in a file of misappropriation of European funds. In the same file, the court has ruled that a businessman be kept in custody, on suspicion of being part of an organized crime ring, while a former county councillor in Prahova (in the south) will be investigated under judicial control. The deputies Sebastian Ghita and Vlad Cosma, as well as the latter deputys father Mircea Cosma have also been placed under judicial control. Mircea and Vlad Cosma are being investigated, among other counts, for supporting an organized crime ring, while TV station owner and close friend to Prime Minister Ponta Sebastian Ghita has been placed under investigation for influence peddling and abuse of office, with the purpose of obtaining undue gains. According to some judicial sources, the estimated damage in the aforementioned file stands at 1.7 million Euro, added to which are more than 550 thousand Euro for tax evasion. Prime Minister Ponta has admitted the scandal his brother-in-law got involved in has blemished his public image.
Romanias Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu in Bucharest today is holding a meeting with his Bulgarian counterpart Daniel Mitov. According to a Romanian Foreign Affairs Ministry press release, high on the two high-ranking officials agenda are topics of bilateral interest, as well as European issues. According to the aforementioned release, also included on the bilateral talks agenda are the Romanian-Bulgarian joint undertaking within NATO, the Ukrainian crisis, the Republic of Moldovas European integration efforts, energy safety and the enlargement of the European Union.
The European Union has today hailed the instatement of Republic of Moldovas new government, headed by Prime Minister Chiril Gaburici. The head of European diplomacy Federica Mogherini and the European Commissioner for neighbourhood policy and enlargement negotiations Johannes Hahn have stated they were eagerly awaiting the cooperation with Chisinau to continue, also waiting for the implementation of the Republic of Moldovas Association Agreement with the European Union. We are confident the new government will step up the implementation process of the key reforms, mainly in the economic and law-making areas, and will mount an efficient fight against corruption, the European officials have also said. In turn, neighbouring Romania voiced hope that the freshly instated government would carry on its reform process, which is a must for the former Soviet republics European integration endeavour.
Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, currently the worlds number four is today taking on Russian Ekaterina Makarova, in a confrontation counting towards the quarterfinals of the Dubai tournament, an event with 2.5 million dollars prize money at stake. The main favourite to winning the tournament, Simona Halep has the opportunity to get her own back in the wake of her defeat this year in the Australian Opens quarterfinals. Also in Dubai, the Romanian-Russian pair made of Monica Niculescu and Alexandra Panova, respectively, is today facing Timea Babos of Hungary and Kristina Mladenovic of France.
