NEWS IN BRIEF

May 20, 2009121

Over 11,500 Bucharesters own one or several lethal weapons

A total of nearly 14,000 people are formally registered as owners of lethal weapons in Bucharest and approximately 7,000 as holders of non-lethal fire arms using rubber balls or compressed air. Bucharest Police Spokesman Christian Ciocan reported on Tuesday that over 11,000 people are registered with the Police as holding one or several lethal weapons in the Capital City. ‘The Bucharest Police records contain a total or 11,562 individuals who own 13,496 lethal weapons’ Cristian Ciocan told ‘Adevarul’ daily. He also added that in the first three months of 2009, the total number of lethal weapons registered in Bucharest had grown compared to the first quarter of the previous year. However, the representative of the Bucharest Police did say the city ‘was still one of the safest capital cities in Europe’ despite the reported incidents with people firing their guns, especially in traffic.

Romanian arrested in Austria for series of raping

A Romanian man was arrested in Austria and accused of having raped numerous women in Vienna, during the last few weeks, Antena 3 reported. Nicolae Tiberius I. used to follow lonely women who went out in town in the evening, according to Police officers. A spokesperson of the Austrian police department said: “He behaved so violently that he pulled out of her hair after the attack.” Viennese police officers declared that they would continue the investigation, in order to identify the total number of the victims abused by the Romanian 41-year-old rapist.

Eleven year child, investigated for money forgery

An eleven year boy from Timis County is investigated by the police after having forged money with a printer. The child used the fake bills in order to pay a fast food meal, Antena 3 declared. According to police officers, the boy forged at home, with a multifunctional printer, three RON 100 money, four RON 10, four RON 1 and two EUR 50. The Police initiated a legal pursuit for money forgery against the child.

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Nicu Constantin, hospitalized at Military Hospital due to critical condition

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Dan Andronic sued PNL

The former political adviser of the Liberals, Dan Andronic sued PNL demanding the payment of a debt of EUR 160,000. Andronic’s company, Multimedia Political Communication ended the collaboration with PNL by the end of 2008. “We sued them for a older debt we spaced out, yet we were paid nothing lately,” Andronic declared, as quoted by Evenimentul Zilei. The adviser claims that he sent notifications to Liberals regarding this situation, yet he received no answer. On the other hand, Liberals acknowledged the existence of the debt, mentioning that there were expenses made by Andronic’s company during the referendum for President Basescu’s dismissal. “We spaced out payments until 2010. Nonetheless, we were unable to pay anything since December 2008. At that time, we had expenses generated by the campaign; afterwards, we had other issues,” the former PNL General Secretary, Dan Motreanu said.

Nastase case back to Parliament Regulatory Commission

The Permanent Bureau of the Chamber of Deputies yesterday ruled to send to the Regulatory Commission the request made by General Prosecutor Codruta Kovesi to repeat the vote in plenum for placing Adrian Nastase under criminal investigation. The Comission must rule whether the prosecutor’s request can be admitted or not. After the Permanent Bureau’s meeting, PNL Deputy Eugen Nicolaescu said seven members of the Bureau voted for sending the request to the Regulatory Commission.
Adrian Nastase attended the Bureau’s meeting to present his view over Kovesi’s request. The PSD deputy said that the demand submitted by the general prosecutor comes against the provisions of the Constitution and the Criminal Procedure Code, adding that his case is politically motivated. Nastase argued that the Chamber of Deputies rejected in plenum, last August, through secret ballot, the request made by the Prosecutor’s Office and DNA to allow the criminal investigation against him and “by no means may a new vote be solicited over a matter in which the Chamber of Deputies already issued a definitive and committing decision, in legal conditions.”

Nicu Constantin, hospitalized at Military Hospital due to critical condition

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Eurostat: Romania’s exchange deficit with Russia grows to bln. 2.719 euros

Romania’s exports to Russia grew from 97 million euros in 2000 to 610 million euros in 2008, while the imports grew from 1.218 to 3.329 billion euros, say data of the Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT), according to Ziarul Financiarul. Thus, Romania’s exchange deficit with Russia grew 2.4 times from 1.121 billion euros in 2000 to 2.7 19 billion euros, last year, ranking 11th among the EU countries.

The European Union’s exchange deficit with Russia totaled 68 billion euros in 2008 overall, up from 41 billion euros in 2000.

IBM opens global IT solution sourcing centre in Brasov

IBM has opened a global IT solution sourcing centre in Brasov which is a subsidiary of an older one in Bucharest, HotNews informs. Eighty people will work at the Brasov IMB centre for customers in German-speaking countries active in sectors such as automotive and insurance. IBM says it will continue expansion in Romania and, although the company officials have not mentioned the current number of staff in Romania, informal data suggests over 1,000. The Brasov-based IT solutions sourcing centre will eventually have 80 employees, but no information is yet available from the company officials as to when the target will be reached or how many employees there are currently. Services such as software maintenance, software development and testing are offered by the Brasov centre. The first customer of the new IMB centre is BMW who buys engineering support solutions.

ArcelorMittal Galati to close coke-chemical plant

Last month’s decision by the management at Arcellor-Mittal Galati to close the coke-chemical plant was validated yesterday by the vote of the company’s general assembly, Antena3.ro reports. The Trade Registry Office will be informed about the decision within 15 days, which will then be published in order for operational stoppage procedures to be launched at the coke-chemical factory.

Roughly 150 steelworkers with Arcellor-Mittal picketed the government building and Cotroceni Palace Wednesday, demanding state involvement in retooling investments by the plant. Employees will start a ‘social uprising’ unless the state takes measures for the siderurgy sector, Gheorghe Tiber, leader of the ‘Solidaritatea Mittal’ trade union, said.

Over EUR 355.4 M transferred to private pension funds

Around EUR 26.9 M were transferred yesterday, in the 13th round of contributions to the compulsory private pension funds (pylon II of pensions), after a year ago, on May 20, the employers had made the first transfers in the system, CSSPP, arbiter of the private pension market, announced yesterday, quoting the data of the National Pension House (CNPAS), HotNews informs. According to these data, over EUR 355.4 M were transferred to the compulsory private pension funds during May 2008 – May 2009.

CNPAS data show that on Wednesday the privately managed pension funds received contributions of over RON 112.7 M (EUR 26.9 M), for over 3.41 million participants.

PM makes new appointments

Premier Emil Boc signed a decision for appointing Mircea Ioan Pavelescu as vice-president of the State Assets Resolution Authority (AVAS), Agerpres reports. Pavelescu will replace Ioan Nani, who was released from office through a PM’s decision published yesterday in the Official Gazette. The premier also appointed Corneliu Ceica as vice-president, with rank of state undersecretary, at the Sanitary, Veterinary and Food Safety National Authority, thus replacing Mihai Puia.

Changes also targeted the Energy Regulatory National Authority (ANRE), where Eugen Georgescu will act as vice-president, instead of Horia-Marius Calimiente, who got revoked from position. The prime minister also signed on Monday a decision that suspends Andrei-Barbu Todea from the public position of government inspector.

Nicu Constantin, hospitalized at Military Hospital due to critical condition

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ANRE: Natural gas might get cheaper from July

Natural gas prices might be cut again in July, according to Realitatea.net. When this newspaper issue was closed, the president of the National Regulatory Authority for Energy, Petru Lificiu was explaining in the Cabinet meeting how natural gas price is being calculated and mentioned a possibility to bring gas prices down. The chairman of the Chamber of Deputies’ Commission for Industry, Iulian Iancu said that reducing the share of imported gas in the total consumption at country level would result in a price decrease by some 30 pc. This would be the ideal solution as gas consumption is declining.

Garrigues – “Tax Firm of the Year” in Spain for the fifth year in a row

Garrigues has consolidated its position of leader in the domain of taxes in the legal profession industry, obtaining for the fifth year in a row the European award “Tax Firm of the Year” from Spain, a press release remitted to the editorial office informs. One of the criteria considered by the jury was the opening of new offices in Bucharest and Tangier. Garrigues has now an international network of ten offices in West Europe, North Africa, East Europe up to Asia. Garrigues provides full consultancy services, having the most extended network of offices in Spain, and specialized offices in London, New York, Brussels, Lisbon, Porto, Bucharest, Warsaw, Casablanca, Tangier and Shanghai.

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IMF’s flexible conditions do not exempt Romania from reforms

International Monetary Fund (IMF) representative for Romania and Bulgaria Tonny Lybek says Romania needed an agreement with the institution, that the agreement is cheaper than borrowing from banks and that Romania should not use the more ‘humane’ conditions of the loan agreement as an excuse to delay economic reforms. The IMF’s conditions attached to the EUR 12.95 bn loan to Romania have been regarded by local and foreign economists as more flexible than before. In an interview for ‘Gandul, published on Wednesday, Lybek, however, warns that the IMF’s message must not be misread. Clear results are still expected. ‘Personally, I would like to add that this thing (the less demanding conditions of the agreement – our note) should not be misinterpreted as an excuse to delay medium-term structural reforms that are still outstanding. Such reforms – public and private – can make economy more cost effective and can secure a high trajectory of real and sustainable growth which is the overriding objective of the public’ said Lybek. On the other hand, the IMF could re-consider some of the terms and conditions of the agreement because of the 6.4 per cent Romanian economy contraction in Q1.

Ion Tiriac: Crisis’ pick in autumn

The businessman Ion Tiriac considers that a very difficult moment will be in autumn, when the banks begin to claim back the money from the firms. “The real crisis will come over six months,” Tiriac said, quoted by Ziarul Financiar. He admits that the banks may ask him also to return the money. “If the bank claims the money from me, I tell it to take it from the cash account, but it doesn’t want it. The bank wants money only from those who don’t have.” “The crisis together with its effects will be over in several years,” the businessman considers. Even if he says that he has enough cash, Tiriac admits that he is sad, “even very sad,” because of the crisis. “The work is lost and it is sad. But this doesn’t scare me, because I am better prepared than others.” He added that this crisis has found most of the people unprepared. “Cars? Real estate? Nothing works. Fortunately, I am not afraid, I saw the crisis coming and I have enough cash to swallow the pill; it is true, the crisis costs me, but I can resist without being obliged to sell any flat; anyway I’ll sell neither those with EUR 4,000 per sq m, nor those with EUR 1,000 per sq m,” Tiriac said, adding that he is aware that in Romania business has grown very quickly.

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