TAXATION On 1 August, some of the fiscal measures introduced
recently by the coalition government made up of the National Liberal Party,
Social Democratic Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in
Romania take effect. On Monday the tobacco excise duty is to increase, as is
the tax on gambling gains. Changes are also operated as regards salaries in the
construction industry, agriculture and foodstuffs, where the ceiling for
certain tax rebates will be lowered. Further changes to the Fiscal Code will
take effect early next year. For example, in the hospitality industry VAT will
be raised from 5 to 9%, while the VAT for non-alcoholic beer and for sugary
drinks will be raised to 19%. Sales of houses bigger than 120 sq.m. or for prices
of over EUR 120,000 will also carry increased VAT. According
to government estimates, these changes will bring the state budget an
additional EUR 243 million this year and some EUR 2.1 billion in 2023.
FESTIVAL Medieval
Sighişoara Festival in central Romania comes to a close today with a
concert by the rock band Cargo and a spectacular fireworks show. Currently in
its 28th year, the festival recreated the medieval feel with the
help of the over 100 participating artists. Events included medieval music and
dance performances, theatre plays, animation, and arts and crafts workshops. The
festival was organized under the patronage of Her Majesty Margareta, custodian of the Crown of Romania. Sighişoara is the
only inhabited medieval citadel in south-eastern Europe.
MILITARY The world’s
strongest air assault force, the US 101st Airborne Division, started
its mission in Romania, following a decision in this respect taken at the
recent NATO summit in Madrid. PM Nicolae Ciucă Saturday took part in the
ceremony in which the US unit presented its colours at Mihail Kogălniceanu Airbase
57 and welcomed the presence of this force, which contributes to strengthening
NATO’s eastern flank. The Romanian official thanked the US troops deployed to
Romania for their effort and contribution to the country’s security. Civilians,
airport personnel and their families then watched an impressive demonstration
showcasing the firepower of the Romanian and US armed forces. Created in 1942 to free Europe from the Nazi
occupation, the US 101st Airborne Division has 2,400 troops
deployed in Romania, 4,700 in Europe and nearly 20,000 around the world. In one
night alone, it can mobilise a brigade of 4,000 troops and hundreds of military
vehicles, equipment and weapon systems, an assault force able to overwhelm any opponent.
CENSUS Sunday is the
last day of the official population and housing census in Romania, after
several extensions. According to the National Statistics Institute, over 90% of
the process had been completed by early this week. The purpose of the census is to
establish the number of people living on Romanian territory, as well as the
living standards in each locality. Based on the data collected, the
authorities will create public policies and earmark funding for each town or
village. At EU level, the number of people
living in Romania is a criterion in the distribution of EU funds. The census is
compulsory for all Romanian citizens.
COVID More than 4,000 new SARS-CoV-2 infections out of over 13,000
tests, as well as 13 COVID-related deaths were reported on Sunday in Romania, the
authorities announced. The number of COVID patients in hospitals is over 3,900,
of whom more than 260 are in intensive care. The authorities estimate that next
week Romania could see 10,000 new cases per day. Although spreading very
quickly, this variant of the virus causes less severe forms of the disease.
TENNIS
The Romanian tennis player Ana Bogdan (108 WTA) plays today against Caroline
Garcia of France (45 WTA), in the Warsaw WTA tournament finals. They only
played against each other once before, at Wimbledon
in 2017, when the French player won. On Saturday, Ana Bogdan, currently
at her first WTA final in her career, defeated Kateryna Baindl of Ukraine (190
WTA), 7-5, 7-5. (AMP)