RADOR: News from Romania, 99-04-22

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From: RADOR Press Agency <http://indis.ici.ro/romania/news/rador.html>

April 22, 1999

CONTENTS

[01] Managerial board of CREDIT BANK was heard by the Budget-Finance Committee of the Chamber of Deputies Managerial board of CREDIT BANK was heard by the Budget-Finance Committee of the Chamber of Deputies with a view to find solutions of bettering financial situation of that bank.According to the news item broadcast by RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI, president of CREDIT BANK, Constantin Postole and vice-president Marin Ionescu asked for legislative support in the working out of a bill by which the debts of the bank to the National Bank, to CEC, which is the savings bank of this country and to the Finance Ministry be balanced by debts which a number of companies have towards the CREDIT BANK. Sum total of these debts is of more than six hundred thousand million lei, according to the RADOR Press Agency.

[02] Decision of the Agricultural Committee of the Chamber of Deputies The Agriculture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies voted yesterday and decided that not more than ten hectares of forest be given back to former owners; the vote came to a 14 to l3 conclusion on Wednesday. The same committee passed an amendment for cases in which restitution cannot occur, RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI informs. This category includes surface of forests restituted to former owners by observance of Law no.l8\1991 before having been amended, the owners possessing all necessary legal documents. RADOR

[03] The law on the complete salary of the clergy is debated by the committee of the Chamber of Deputies The Committee of labour and social protection as well as the Religion Committee, human rights and national minorities of the Chamber of Deputies have debated the draft law providing for complete salaries to the clergy.The draft was favourably tabled by the Religion Committee while the second committee mentioned is expected to make the same decision, reads a note by fax from the Religion State Secretariate quoted by RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI. RADOR

[04] UDMR - Democratic Union of Magyars of Romania - President contests the statement of the US President regarding the situation of minorities in Romania The Democratic Union of Magyars of Romania asked the President of Romania during their meeting last Tuesday to attach particular attention to the bills including issues of minorities now under parliamentary debate.Despite all this, said UDMR leader Marko Bela at the weekly press conference, UDMR parliamentarians left the plenum of Parliament during debates because of a situation created by hesitation and non-attendance. Mr. Marko insisted on publicly contesting the statement of the US President Bill Clinton according to whom Romania is an example of solving minorities issues. "We do not accept to be praised for this - Mr.Marko Bela said - while in Romania reality is totally different". At the same time the UDMR leader makes an appeal to the coalition partners to observe understandings previously reached related to minorities and to side together responsibly during these times which are so important for Romania before the Washington NATO summit, RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI transmits. RADOR

[05] Measures for revitalizing defense industry The press bureau of the Ministry of National Defense of Romania released a communique which is mentioned by RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI quoting measures which are deemed necessary to revitalize defense industry in the wake of visits made by Defense Minister Victor Babiuc to industrial companies of Brasov and Tirgoviste.Money funds are necessary for assessment and restructuring of national defense industry plus the promotion of amendments to Law 78\l995 by emergency ordinance of the government to which added is supplimentary budget to the Ministry of Defense equal to 31oo thousand million lei. <HR SIZE=3> Social life

[06] Talks between Prime Minister Radu Vasile and leaders of the four main trade union federations Talks ended at Victoria seat of the government with leaders of the four main trade union federations, RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI informs adding that the Prime Minister asked for delaying the general strike and advanced the idea of wording a joint document providing for solutions, terms and responsibilities. Mr. Vasile asked for the document to be submitted to the cabinet meeting on Thursday and to the united trade union coordination councils.The Prime Minister also made a short statement to the media estimating that now the trade unions lack a motive to start general strike.An argument in favour of this statement is that after more than seven hours of negociations there cropped up a new demand and namely the dismissal of Justice Minister Valeriu Stoica who did not mention in Parliament any of the amendments of the trade unions during takings of stand prior to the vote on the Law of ministerial responsibility. The leader of the BNS -National Trade Union Body- quoted also by RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI said that after a nine hour talk with the government they did not make any offer to the trade unions and they did not forward any guarantee for meeting the demands of the trade unions.Mr. Dumitru Costin also said that on Wednesday the trade union leaders asked for the dismissal of the Minister of Justice who did not keep to the promise made regarding amendments to the afore mentioned law. In conclusion Mr. Costin said the trade unions wait for an answer from the cabinet until Thursday.According to RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI a document could be signed by both government and trade unions for solutions and dates to meet the demands. RADOR

[07] Bucharest Town Hall estimates local budget as insufficient General mayor Viorel Lis said local budget is two thousasnd million lei short of amount needed - as four thousand million are not enough to meet the needs of the city. RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI also reports that Mr. Lis asked the government for additional funds from the reserve budget for proper preparation of Pope John Paul's visit to Bucharest.

[08] The International Eclipse 99 Campus is built in county Valcea

[09] Floods in ten counties of Romania 74 towns and villages were flooded alongside about 6oo dwellings as well as more than 9ooo hectares of arable land in Transylvania where county Mures comes first as damage with more than 5oo houses that were destroyed in 35 towns and villages and more than 2ooo hectaress of arable land under water. RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI which broadcast the news item adds that aid to the victims is forthcoming. RADOR <HR SIZE=3> International relations

[10] Agenda of US visit of President Emil Constantinescu The President of Romania leaves for the United States today to attend the festive 5o year anniversary Washington NATO summit.According to RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI the President will meet with the United Nations Secretary General, will attend the ceremony of "European Statesman Award" handing over to former Chancellor Khol by the East-West Studies Institute, he will have talks with members of the Administration,he will be among the guests of the official White House dinner a ntries that are neighbouring Yugoslavia will certainly take place as well as top level talks whose topic is expected to be the Balkan crisis and regional stability.We are confident that our partners, foreign minister Plesu also said,have understood that in this context we need political, military and economic guarantees in order to be accomodated with a crisis situation and to keep up public interest for an alliance that, from our point of view, is the only possible one". RADOR

[11] Delegation of the Senate Foreign Policy Committee is visiting Brazil A delegation of the Senate Foreign Policy Committee led by Gheorghe Prisacaru is now in Brazil. RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI informs its listeners that during talks and meetings with their counterparts the Romanian representatives voiced the wish of our country for a significant Brazilian presence in Bucharest at the "Romania - Latin America cooperation opportunities " Forum which will unfold towards the end of May this year. RADOR

[12] Negociations with the IMF were finalized in Bucharest Wednesday evening prime minister Radu Vasile said negociations with the IMF were finalized with a view to the letter of intention for the stand-by accord with the Fund.Both prime minister Radu Vasile and the IMF head negociator Emanuel Zervoudakis held a press conference which was broadcast live by RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI. Romania's premier said, among others, that efforts of Romania were supported to continue reform and to have access on the financial markets of the world. Mr.Zervoudakis said it was important for the government of Bucharest to continue the programme agreed upon with the World Bank that implies restructure of companies and banks and cutting down losses by the state owned branches. The stand-by accord covers a period of lo-ll months and equals about 5oo million USD being divided on each and every three month period.Finance minister Remes said that as part of the accord with the IMF deficit is under 2.5 per cent and inflation is of 32 oer cent this year.

[13] The United States Ambassador to Romania speaks about Romanian investment opportunities On Wednesday morning the US ambassador to Romania, James Rosapepe delivered a speech in the AULA MAGNA of the Academy of Economic Studies of Bucharest devoted to investment opportunities in Romania.The US Ambassador said that Romania needs more investments for the success of its reform and investors are attracted by speeded up economic reform. We quote "This is exactly what Romania has done in the last six months - more privatization, a deep going restructure, a more powerful democratic state" said the US Ambassador in a programme of RADIO ROMANIA ACTUALITATI. He added that his message to US businessmen was that now is a good time to invest in our country. A 23 million strong market, the second largest in Central Europe,a work force having very good training, at competitive standards, good geographical position with important transport opportunities, those on the Black Sea included,rich natural resources are arguments which Ambassador Rosapepe will present to US investors. With reference to the real economy sector the speaker said small and medium sized companies generated most of the economic growth of the Romanian economy.Mr. Rosapepe added that the US is faced by a crisis of human resources in some domains of activity while Romania can offer well trained work force. In this sense software and computer assisted design are perfect domains for two way profit partnership between American and Romanians. RADOR

[14] Romania gets five million Euro for trans frontier cooperation projects The National Tourism Authority and the State Ownership Fund clash on issues of privatization

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