|
RRI newsletter subcription
(e-mail address):
|
 |
Archives:
|
|
| The Week in Review |
| (2012-04-07) |
| Last updated: 2012-04-10 13:59 EET |
The Romanian government has earmarked more money to city halls in a bid to help them meet local needs and has endorsed the cancellation of budget debts of the state-own railway company by converting them into bonds.
The government in Bucharest has this week earmarked 148 million euros from the budget reserves to several city halls across the country. The executive says the funds were distributed to help certain counties meet their local needs and not on political criteria.
Government spokesman Dan Suciu explains what the money will be used for: “We’ll have an emergency fund for the payment of all pending debts, arrears and works that haven’t been paid yet, in an attempt to maintain the functional character of administrative units.”
The national railway company too receives government aids. The executive has endorsed the cancellation of the company’s budget debts by converting them into bonds. The company’s total debt exceeded 915 million euros late last year.
Environment minister in Bucharest, Lazlo Borbely has stepped down.
Romanian minister of the environment, Lazlo Borbely stepped down a day after the anti-graft prosecutors had called for stripping him of parliamentary immunity in order to start criminal prosecution. Borbely, who is an MP from the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, (part of the ruling coalition jointly with the Liberal Democratic Party and the National Union for the Progress of Romania) has been accused of peddling in influence and of making false wealth statements. The president of the legal Committee of the Chamber of Deputies said the prosecution request would be discussed next Tuesday in a committee session. Prime Minister Mihai Razvan Ungureanu will also serve as interim environment minister, until the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians designates a successor. Minister Borbely’s resignation has sparked off divided reactions. The Liberal-Democratic party believes the decision is a sign of political maturity, whereas the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania continues to support Borbely, whom they said is innocent. The opposition describes Borbely’s resignation as a skirmish within the government coalition.
Controversy around shale gas extraction in Romania.
Chevron, the second largest US oil group, will this year extract shale gas from two sites in the eastern Romanian county of Vaslui, using conventional technologies. In Constanta County, the only planned activity for 2012 is a study aimed at preventing extractions close to cultural heritage sites, towns and villages, as well as ecologically significant habitats. There is controversy about the method of extraction used, called hydraulic fracturing, which experts say might pollute the groundwater or even increase the chance of earthquakes. Alexandru Patrauti, President of the National Agency for Mineral Resources, says this is the standard extraction method used for decades in the oil industry, including in Romania. He explained that the main environmental effect could be contamination of the groundwater, but that can be controlled by observing proper extraction procedures. The Social Liberal opposition has asked for a study on the impact of non-conventional gas exploitation, public debates on effects on the environment and the population, as well as special legislation in this field.
The 2012 Romanian national car fleet renewal program kicked off on April 5th for natural persons.
In 2012, the national car fleet renewal program for natural persons called “Rabla” started on April 5th. Owners of automobiles more than 10 years old can have them scrapped until November 19th, after providing proof that all tax payments are up to date. Like last year, the Government will grant a scrapping bonus of 3,800 lei – some 870 euros, with a maximum of three vouchers usable for each purchase of a new vehicle. Authorities have allocated a budget of some 26.5 million euros for 2012, which would allow for the scrapping of 30,000 vehicles more than 10 years old. Over the past two years, more than 300,000 old cars have been scrapped through this program, while 100,000 new purchases were made during that same time. Of all vehicles purchased, around 40,000 were Romanian-made cars.
The European Commission has informed the Romanian Government that European money reimbursements will be resumed, part of the Operational Sectoral Program Human Resources Development.
Good news for the Romanian Government, which has been informed by the European Commission that payments for the applications submitted under the Operational Program Human Resources Development (POSDRU) will be resumed in the coming period. Payments had been suspended in February, due to the poor management of these funds. The resumption will be accompanied by precautionary financial corrections, standing at 10%, for the payments disbursed in the first half of the year. The funds allocated to Romania under POSDRU for the 2007-2013 period are worth 4.2 billion Euros, of which the EU’s contribution accounts for 3.5 billion.
Both the power and the opposition in Romanian want the election law amended.
The power and the opposition in Bucharest have both agreed that the election law must be amended. To this end, a parliamentary commission has been established, to debate and submit to Parliament, by the end the month, a new draft law. The ruling liberal democrats want a single chamber parliament, with 300 MPs, and the opposition pleads for electing both senators and deputies through majority voting, in a singe ballot, eliminating political migration from one party to another, and sanctioning electoral bribe giving and taking.
A different type of school – an attractive projected implemented by the Education Ministry in Bucharest.
This week, Romanian pupils have left their school bags at home and have participated in extra-curricular activities part of the project ‘A different school’, initiated by the Education Ministry. Visits to museums and zoos, workshops on choosing a career, handball and basketball matches, orienteering contests, volunteer work, are just some of the activities that Romanian pupils have participated in. The aim of the program ‘A different school’ is both pupils’ and teachers’ involvement in non-formal education activities, which are meant to unveil pupils’ skills in various and interesting fields.
|
|
| |
WMA |
|
64kbps : |
1
2
3
|
|
|
128kbps : |
1
2
3
|
| |
MP3 |
|
|
64kbps : |
1
2
3
|
|
|
128kbps : |
1
2
3
|
| |
AAC+ |
|
|
48kbps : |
1
2
3
|
|
|
64kbps : |
1
2
3
|
 Historical mascot of
RRI |
2025-04-03
Print
Listen again