Press review – Dec 29 2006

The dismissals and new appointments signed by PM Calin Popescu-Tariceanu, the official closing of the remitting of documents of former Securitate to CNSAS, the prognosis regarding RON’s appreciation in 2007, the maintenance of a sale increase tendency and the issuing of a gold coin by the National Bank of Romania on the occasion of the EU accession are the main issues carried by the Romanian dailies on Friday.

Romania Libera daily reads that PM Calin Popescu-Tariceanu on Thursday signed many dismissal and appointment decisions. Thus, Vlad Anton Iliescu was dismissed and appointed again in the position of sate secretary with the Health Ministry. Catalin Florin Teodorescu, head of the National Authority for Consumer Protection was replaced with Marian Zlotea. The leadership of The National Agency for Sports will be taken by Octavian Ioan Atanase Belu, to replace Gheorghe Florian-Carmen. Jean-Catalin Sandu was dismissed, his position as vice president of the State Assets Realization Authority being taken by Mircea Marinescu.

In an item headlined ‘It might take 20-40 years to bridge the gap between Romania and the EU’ PM Calin Popescu-Tariceanu is quoted as saying in an interview carried by Radio Romania that the necessary measures for bridging the gap between Romania and the EU countries should be supported by the political class. He underscored that, unfortunately, there was no full political maturity in Romania yet, which many times drew the European officials’ suspicion and distrust. Tariceanu believes that the accession will not bring bankruptcies and price increase and that the Romanians working abroad will come back home.

‘Tariceanu is anticipating low prices in 2007′ headlines Evenimentul zilei, reporting that Tariceanu told radio Romania on Thursday that the prices will go down in 2007 following increasing competition and new investors. He also explained that that labor force was in high demand in certain fields such as constructions, banking system, IT and car industry.

In an item called ‘The RON will appreciate in 2007′ Gandul daily writes that the EU accession might trigger a strengthening of the Romanian currency as compared with the Euro, against the background of capital inflows, according to expert opinions. Analysts do not elude the possibility that the RON’s appreciation might reverse the trend if corrections generated by Romania’s high account deficit emerge. Sources with the National Bank of Romania confirm the analysts’estimates, stressing that 2007 will be an year in which the national currency leu will continue to strengthen as against the euro, however at a lower rate than until now.

The Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) and the Romanian Foreign Intelligence (SIE) officially ended the handover to former Securiate, daily Gandul reports stressing that the SRI and SIE officially concluded the handover to the the National Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives (CNSAS) of the files drawn up by the former Securitate. After the latest meeting of the Supreme Council for the Country’s Defence (CSAT), President Traian Basescu said that both intelligence services should finalise the handover of files by the end of 2006. SRI sent CNSAS as many as 1,587,831 files with 1,930,062 volumes, representing over 18,000 linear metres of archive. The Romanian Intelligence Service also handed over to CNSAS some 1,400,000 recording entries and over 700,000 records from the database of the former Securiate.

The National Defence Ministry handed over the full archive of the state security department’s Direction 4 in line with the CSAT’s decision of April 17, 2006.

Daily Romania libera headlines ‘’The sales’ upward trend of maintains’’ and stresses that, according to the results of a poll conducted in December by the National Statistics Institute (INS), the most optimistic managers of the Romanian economy are activating in retail field. The only sector with an economic activity predicted to drop is the constructions sector where the labour force has a downward trend. According to forecasts of the polled, the economic situation will see an upward trend, but the growth intensity will be lower compared to the previous period (circumstantial balance +26 percent). The traders’ preferences continue to be directed mainly towards the products of the domestic market (circumstantial balance +17 percent), but the order of imported goods increased (circumstantial balance +14 percent).

Ziarul financiar headlines ‘’The National bank of Romania will join the European Union with an interest of 8.75 percent a year’’ and stresses that on Thursday the National Bank of Romania’s managing board decided it would not change anything of the monetary policy strategy. The banking market enters the EU with an interest of 8.75 percent – the highest of the community space and with minimal compulsory reserves of 20 percent in lei and 40 percent in foreign currency.

Changes to the main instruments of monetary policy used by the National Bank of Romania could occur no sooner than February 9. BNR estimates the inflation will decrease to ‘’less than 5 percent at the end of this year’’ compared to 8.6 percent in December 2005.

In the article headlined ‘’Gold coin devoted to the EU accession,’’ daily Gandul reports that the National Bank of Romania will put into circulation starting January 3, 2007 as many as 250 numismatic gold coins with a nominal value of 500 lei devoted to Romania’s accession to the European Union. The the Coins will be traded in the BNR’s branches of Bucharest, Iasi (eastern Romania), Cluj (north-eastern country) and Timis (western Romania).

Dailies Gandul and Evenimentul Zilei inform that museums nationwide subordinated to the Ministry of Culture and Religious Affairs will remain open on December 30 until 12.00 p.m. local time and the admission is free. ‘’The Museums’ White Night’’ is part of the series of events occasioned by Romania’s EU entry, organised under the patronage of the Romanian Government.

Under the title ‘’New Year’s Eve in Bucharest’ daily Gandul reports that Bucharesterers will have three mega-parties organised by the Government in Revolution Square, by Bucharest City Hall in University Square and by the Bucharest’s District 5 at Romexpo exhibitions centre. Romania’s President Traian Basescu announced he would drink the champagne of integration in the University Square. The biggest fireworks show which ever happened in Bucharest illuminated with coloured lasers displayed on the University building is expected for the final countdown to midnight. ROMPRES