September 26, 2024 UPDATE
A roundup of local and world news
Newsroom, 26.09.2024, 20:00
FLOODS The Danube flood tide is expected to reach Romania on October 2-3, when the river flow rate is expected to reach 9,500 cubic metres per second, the manager of the Romanian Waters National Agency, Sorin Lucaci, announced. The Emergency Directorate announced measures have already been prepared, and will be adjusted to the new circumstances triggered by the heavy rainfalls announced for this weekend. The Emergency Directorate chief, Raed Arafat, said at the end of today’s Cabinet meeting that citizens will be kept informed, including through the Ro-Alert emergency service, and that local authorities have been instructed to identify vulnerable citizens and to plan for their timely evacuation. The Danube has so far caused major floods in the countries it transits, as Storm Ashley has hit Europe, bringing low temperatures, strong wind and massive rainfalls.
UN Insecure as today’s world may be, the answer to our problems will always be more cooperation and more solidarity, said Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis in his address at the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. He also highlighted Romania’s efforts and contribution to solving current global challenges, from security crises such as the war in Ukraine and the Middle East conflict to the major challenges facing the world. Iohannis pointed out that security is not a regional, but a global matter, and that the war waged by Russia in Ukraine has affected nations and people around the globe.
ECONOMY The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development significantly revised downwards its economic growth forecast for Romania this year, as the lower outsourcing demand has hit the IT sector, according to a report released on Thursday. The EBRD expects Romania’s GDP to grow by 1.4% this year, down from its previous estimate of 3.2% in May. For next year, the EBRD expects a 2.6% growth rate, down from the 3.4% figure proposed in May. The increase in the minimum wage in Romania and Bulgaria has stimulated demand but led to a growth in the trade deficit and added to inflationist pressure, the report also says. The EBRD mentions that the latest forecasts of the Tax Council in Bucharest indicate an increase in the budget deficit to around 8% of GDP this year. The International Monetary Fund also revised downwards its forecast concerning Romania’s economic growth this year, from 3.8% last October to 2.8% in its World Economic Outlook released in April this year. Last week, the National Commission for Strategy and Prognosis revised its estimates concerning the GDP growth down to 2.8% from 3.4% previously.
EU The European Commission has initiated 2 infringement procedures against Romania, and requests notification on the progress in implementing 2 directives. The infringement package targets 26 member states, with Denmark as the exception. The first procedure against Romania concerns its failing to fully transpose into national law the provisions of the revised Renewable Energy Directive related to the simplification and acceleration of permitting procedures. Romania and the other 25 notified states should have transposed the directive by July 1, 2024. The second notification, received by a total 17 member states, has to do with failing to notify their national measures transposing the Accounting Directive, the Transparency Directive and the Audit Directive. The deadline was July 6, 2024. In both cases, Romania has 2 months to fully transpose the directives and to notify the European Commission.
IMMIGRATION Romania is becoming more and more attractive to foreign workers, according to a survey conducted by the Foundation for the Development of Civil Society. The home countries of most foreign workers in Romania include Nepal, Turkey, Italy, Moldova, Sri Lanka and India. They work in constructions, the hospitality industry and retail, and according to the Immigration Inspectorate General 80% of them get unskilled jobs. Integrating foreign workers is not easy, but it is important for Romania’s economic development, says the head of the EU representative office in Romania, Ramona Chiriac. She said foreign workers are facing language barriers and abuse by employers. In this respect, several ministries are working together on legislation to help immigrants, the PM’s office has announced. In 2023, the number of foreign workers employed in Romania was 200,000.
BUSINESS Members of the Romanian business community complain that, in spite of their investments in dual education, many of the youth completing such programmes leave the country. The deputy chair of the Romanian Association of Small and Mid-sized Traders, Feliciu Paraschiv, says there are no guarantees that those who provide financial support to a student for 2-3 years will eventually benefit from the knowledge they have gained, and that Romanian entrepreneurs end up training the future employees of more developed countries. Paraschiv believes education institutions should be more connected to the actual demand in the economy and highlighted the need for a change in the public perception of certain jobs.
CITIES The city of Braşov, in central Romania, is viewed as the most attractive city to live in, according to an urban attractiveness survey conducted by the Institute for Visionary Cities. Braşov is followed by Cluj-Napoca and Oradea, in the north-west, Sibiu, in the centre, Timişoara (west), Constanţa (south-east), the capital city Bucharest, Iaşi (north-east), Alba Iulia (centre), and Piatra Neamţ (north-east). The survey looks at moving plans and the overall perception of the quality of life. The authors highlighted that leisure opportunities have proved to be the most important element for interviewees, overshadowing traditional factors such as well-paying jobs and infrastructure. The latter still ranks second, followed by a city’s capacity to encourage creativity and innovation.
TENNIS The Romanian tennis player Irina Begu Thursday defeated China’s Ye-Xin Ma, 1-6, 6-4, 6-1, in the WTA 1000 tournament in Beijing. Begu (34, ranked 103rd WTA) is next to take on seed no. 17, Mirra Andreeva (Russia). In the same competition, another Romanian player, Jaqueline Christian, defeated Ana Bondar (Hungary), 1-6, 6-7, whereas Gabriela Ruse lost to Sijia Wei (China), 4-6, 6-7. (AMP)
