The Government is set to freeze, for the moment, the minimum wage at 1,050 lei (approximately 235 euro), even though the former cabinet promised to increase the wage to 1,200 lei (approximately 270 euro) from January 1, 2016."We will analyze the impact an increase in the minimum wage would have and, eventually, we will recommend increases that can take place. From January 1 it will not increase, because we cannot make this estimation on the economy and we would say for naught that we want to stimulate the economy with such a generous fiscal package that we made a great effort to include in the budget if we were to take a measure that could destroy the business environment. We cannot make this increase overnight, because this measure can significantly affect the competitiveness of Romania", said, on Friday, the Minister of Public Finance, Anca Dragu. She mentioned that the analysis regarding the impact is underway, but that the measure must be analyzed especially in the private area, because the public sector yields no wages under the minimum wage, given the increases approved this year for various categories, such as workers in healthcare, education and local administration, but also the 10 percent increase for all public sector workers decided upon recently. Furthermore, the Minister claims that such a measure can determine a migration of personnel from the fiscalized white area to the gray or black area of the economy. The Ponta Government had scheduled in its governing programme the increase of the minimum wage to 1,200 lei from January 1, 2016, and the former PM had promised additional increases to 1,300 lei until the midpoint of 2016 and 1400 lei from January 1, 2017.
Romanian prime minister Ilie Bolojan stated during an interview on Wednesday, December 17, that there should be no statute of limitations in cases of serious corruption. The statement comes after a Recorder investigation, which showed that several heads of the major institutions in the Romanian justice system allegedly delayed trials for years until wrongdoings were […]
President Nicușor Dan has challenged, before the Constitutional Court (CCR), the constitutionality of the law that requires that at least 40% of the athletes who play on a team in official national competitions be Romanian. Dan noted that the law violates the principle of non-discrimination and the free movement of workers, enshrined both in the […]
Craiova International Airport will open its new passenger terminal on Thursday, December 18, completing a major infrastructure investment aimed at significantly expanding capacity and improving air connectivity in southwestern Romania. It is part of a broader expansion and modernization project financed through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme (POIM) 2014–2020, with a total value exceeding EUR […]
Romania is set to be connected to the Western European energy network thanks to grid investments worth EUR 30 billion. The funds will be provided by the EU by 2035, and the project will link Romania to Hungary and Austria in a joint project. Romanian energy minister Bogdan Ivan signaled the signing of the new […]
Franck Bagouet has been appointed managing director of TotalEnergies Marketing Romania SA and managing director of Automotive Southeast Europe Hub TotalEnergies Marketing. He succeeds Didier Grimault, who has accepted a new position within the TotalEnergies company. “I am glad to join this dynamic affiliate and confident that, together with our talented team, we will reinforce […]
Databricks, the data analytics and artificial intelligence company co-founded by Romanian professors Ion Stoica and Matei Zaharia, announced on Tuesday, December 16, that it is raising USD 4 billion in funding at a valuation of USD 134 billion, according to CNBC. The new valuation represents a 34% increase compared to the August round, when Databricks […]
