Romania's black cigarette market stood at 8.3 percent of the total consumption this September, in line with the previous months, but higher compared to the 2022 average of 7.1 percent, shows a survey by Novel Research."In September 2023, the black market remains steady in almost all the regions of the country. Among the new elements worth mentioning for September's survey is the inclusion of Bulgaria among the main sources of smuggled tobacco products. With a share of 16.8 percent and an upward trend in the last year, Bulgaria is third in place as regards smuggled tobacco products, after duty-free outlets and cheap whites. Also, the survey carried out in the last months no longer identified cigarettes smuggled from Ukraine. There is a downward trend in the share of products from Moldova (7.6 percent), while Serbia is constant," said Novel Research managing partner Marian Marcu in a press release on Wednesday.Citing data on the platform StopContrabanda.ro, BAT Legal and External Affairs Director for South-East Europe Ileana Dumitru said that year-to-date, the Romanian authorities have captured about 105 million contraband cigarettes, more than double the amount in the same period last year.Head of the Romanian Customs Authority Ion Cupa said that 10 million illegal cigarettes were discovered in a recent raid carried out in the counties of Suceava and Teleorman, during which customs inspectors provided specialist assistance alongside representatives of the Directorate for the Investigation of Organized Crime and Terrorism, the Organized Crime Directorate, the Directorate for the Investigation of Economic Crimes, and the Border Police General Inspectorate.In 2022, tobacco companies funnelled about 20 billion RON to the state budget in excise duties, VAT and other taxes and contributions.
President Nicusor Dan signed on Thursday the decree appointing Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan as interim Vice Prime Minister on the areas coordinated by Dragos Anastasiu, the Presidential Administration informed.On 27 July, Dragos Anastasiu announced he was stepping down from the vice prime minister office, mentioning that he could no longer accept "being denigrated and thus […]
Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan continued consultations on Thursday with representatives of the Association of Communes of Romania, telling them there is a strong chance to overcome the current difficult period if the approach of "responsibility toward public funds" is maintained."The reform of local public administration will be part of the second package of government measures […]
Financing the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) projects will continue for those already initiated and will stop only in case investment has not begun, where not a single euro was spent for construction, Development minister Cseke Attila explained on Thursday. “PNRR will not stop, neither will financing investments which have already been initiated, […]
The Justice Ministry announced on Thursday having developed in cooperation with the Finance Ministry and the National Tax Administration Agency a set of proposals to amend the Insolvency Law, which will be included in the second reform package.Some of the amendments provide for a higher recovery rate of the taxes and fees owed by insolvent […]
Romania is in the antechamber of recession, with the risk that its economy will decline in the third or fourth quarter, especially amid an increase in taxes, a significant drop in sales and record inflation at European level, says business consultant Adrian Negrescu."We are currently in the antechamber of recession. It is a moment […]
The Ministry of Culture announced on Thursday that is set to adapt national legislation for enforcing the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which supports media pluralism, editorial responsibility, protects journalists from abusive surveillance and intimidation, and provides protection for sources.According to a Culture Ministry release, the implementation in Romania of Regulation (EU) 2024/1083 of the […]
