October 26, 2016
Romania ranks 36th in the World Banks classification “Doing Business 2017.
Newsroom, 26.10.2016, 12:00
BILL – Representatives of the Romanian Government and the National Liberal Party (PNL) consider appealing in the Constitutional Court the bill on the elimination of over 100 small non-fiscal charges as of January 1st, including the radio and TV licence fee. The bill, proposed by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) was passed on Tuesday by the Chamber of Deputies, Parliament’s decision-making body in this case. The bill has been passed without an assessment of its impact on next year’s state budget and the MPs have not indicated the source of funding, the bill’s opponents have argued. In their opinion, the elimination of the licence fee by law gravely affects the independence and impartiality of the public broadcasting services. A number of media organisations are calling on president Klaus Iohannis not to sign the bill into law and launch a public debate on the status of public media services.
ANNIVERSARY – The series of events occasioned by the anniversary of King Mihai I of Romania, who turned 95 on October 25th continues. On this occasion, the King’s eldest daughter, Her Royal Highness Margareta, Custodian of the Romanian Crown, has said that the birthday anniversary of King Mihai takes place in 2016, when it is 150 years since the Romanian Crown served Romania’s history, the nation’s identity and continuity. On Thursday, Princess Margareta and Price Radu will attend the public presentation of the stamp collection entitled “Engines, a royal passion”, by Romfilatelia at Carol I Central University Library in Bucharest. On this occasion the Royal Choir will give a short recital. Mihai I is Romania’s last king and the only surviving head of state from WWII. He ruled the country two times, between 1927 and 1930, and between 1940 and 1947, respectively. Forced to abdicate by the communists , on December 30, 1947, the former monarch lived in exile. After the Anti-communist Revolution of 1989, he returned to his native Romania.
MILITARY DRILL — A multinational military drill involving 1,300 military is being conducted as of today until November 2nd at the Land forces training centre in Cincu, Brasov county. “SCORPIONS FURY — 16”, that unfolds in three stages, has been coordinated by the NATO Southeast Multinational Division Command. Romania’s land forces participate in the military exercise with around one thousand troops, alongside colleagues from Canada, Germany and the Republic of Moldova.
RANKING — Romania ranks 36th in the World Bank’s classification “Doing Business 2017”, one place down as against the previous year. Romania advanced in terms of tax payment, but went down in terms of starting a business. Romania is ahead of countries like Hungary, Belgium, Italy and Turkey but comes after countries like New Zealand, which ranks first, Poland, the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan. The World Bank report assesses 190 economies based on 11 criteria such as taking out loans, access to the electricity network and cross border transactions.
NATO – Romanian Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc is today attending a NATO meeting in Brussels. Motoc will have several meetings with counterparts from NATO countries. The US Ambassador to NATO, Douglas Lute, has said in Brussels that NATO will consolidate its presence in Romania and the neighboring Bulgaria. Ambassador Lute has also said that, for the time being, plans on consolidating the presence of NATO’s air and naval forces in the Black Sea region are still being discussed.
TENNIS — Romanian tennis player Simona Halep (WTA no. 4) will take on Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia (WTA no. 8) on Thursday in the Red Group at the WTA finals in Singapore. On Tuesday Halep lost to world’s number one player Angelique Kerber of Germany, 4-6, 2-6. Halep ranks second in her group, after Angelique Kerber. In the White Group, the Czech player Karolina Pliskova (WTA no.5) defeated the Roland Garros defending champion, Spanish Garbine Muguruza (WTA no.6) and Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (WTA no.9) defeated last year’s winner of the title, Polish Agnieszka Radwanska (WTA no.3). Simona Halep is participating for the third time in the WTA Finals, after in 2014 she met Serena Williams in the finals, and last year failed to go past the group stage.
(Translated by Elena Enache)
