Radio România Internațional

Tag: reports

  • Controversial reports regarding Covid 19-related fatalities

    Controversial reports regarding Covid 19-related fatalities

    The conclusions of an investigation
    into the different reports on the Covid-related deaths released by the two
    information platforms the authorities rely on will be used to improve
    procedures, so that such errors may no longer appear. The statement belongs to the incumbent Health
    Minister Ioana Mihaila who went to Parliament on Monday to explain the
    situation upon a request from the opposition PSD.




    According to a report published
    earlier, there was a 13% difference between the two platforms, which gives a
    series of explanations concerning some technical or human errors. The Health
    Ministry, which drew up the document considers the situation is justified to a
    certain extent, partially acceptable and unavoidable and was caused by the
    aggravated epidemiological situation at the end of 2020.




    Another cause included in the document
    is referring to hospital structures, which either failed to report all
    Covid-related fatalities to the ministry or have included them among other
    types of deaths. The document concludes that this sort of double reporting
    entails confusion, additional efforts to validate the data as well as wasted resources.




    According to the Ministry, heard by
    Parliament on Monday, the difference between the two reports is due to human
    error and misunderstood methodologies, which have been amended several times
    since the beginning of the pandemic.


    Minister Mihaila, who was not in
    office at that time, has admitted the system’s failures pledging that measures
    will be taken to ensure the reform. The official has blamed the error on a
    committee appointed in a previous mandate pledging that sanctions are to be
    slapped shortly on those responsible.




    We are not on a witch hunt, but we
    have the right information to take the measures required, Minister Mihaila went
    on to say. The Social Democratic MPs were not satisfied with the answers
    provided pointing to the centre-to-right government’s lack of professionalism
    in handling the pandemic.




    MP Alexandru Rafila says that constantly
    doubting the figures concerning the tests conducted, the number of patients,
    the vaccinated persons and the fatalities registered through contradictory
    statements and distorted figures provided by the authorities has enraged the
    population. He recollected that the PSD
    has called for the setting up of a Parliament Committee able to investigate
    this unprecedented situation to hear the representatives of the institutions in
    charge and publish the conclusion. However, the Parliament majority has vetoed
    the project.




    The ruling alliance’s way to handle
    the pandemic has also attracted heat from another opposition party AUR and during
    the debates the National Liberal Party and the Democratic Union of Ethnic
    Hungarians in Romania have called for unequivocal data release. The ruling
    USR-PLUS has underlined that the people’s trust in the measures taken by the
    authorities hinges on the restoration of truth concerning the pandemic-related
    data. Prime Minister Florin Citu last week explained that such errors were
    present in all EU countries.


    (bill)

  • The Week in Review, June 8-15

    The Week in Review, June 8-15

    IMF postpones assessment of the stand-by agreement with Romania


    The IMF postponed to November the assessment of the stand-by loan agreement signed with Romania last autumn, to give Bucharest some time to decide on new fiscal measures and to draw up the budget bill for next year, PM Victor Ponta has announced. A news release issued by the IMF on Thursday reads that “the teams have had constructive discussions with the Romanian authorities on how to ensure further progress and have reached agreement on important policies in this regard. However, some issues remain outstanding.” One of them is the Government’s plan to slash social security contributions by 5% as of July 1st, which the international financial institutions did not agree with. Victor Ponta announced that next week the Government will send the bill concerning this change to Parliament, and promised that Bucharest will respect all macroeconomic targets agreed on with the international lenders.


    World Bank, optimistic as regards the Romanian economy


    The World Bank has improved its forecast of Romania’s economic growth this year from 2.5% in January to 2.8%, while the GDP growth next year is expected to be even higher, around 3.2%. Similar figures have been announced for the entire regional and at a global level. According to the report, the stronger foreign demand will lead to an improvement with regard to Romania’s employment and consumption levels. At the same time, the low inflation will enable the National Bank to support economic growth through its monetary policy. The government and the IMF expect a GDP increase between 2.2 and 2.5% this year and around 2.5% next year. In turn, the European Commission estimates 2.5% and 2.6% economic growth rates for Romania in 2014 and 2015 respectively.


    Facilities for Romanian entrepreneurs


    Romanians of any age, who have not had their own companies before, may set up a micro-enterprise free of charge, thanks to a law aimed at encouraging the development of small enterprises passed by the Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday. The law also exempts employers from payment of social security contributions for a maximum of four full-time employees with open-end employment contracts, and from the payment of registration fees charged by the Trade Registry offices. Entrepreneurs may also receive non-reimbursable funding of up to 10,000 euros, to cover 50% of the total amount of eligible expenses stipulated in their business plan and for which they prove they have co-funding sources.


    Over 50% of Electrica shares to be listed


    The Government seeks to obtain at least 435 million euros in exchange of 51% of the shares of Electrica, which it will have listed with the Stock Exchange. Preparations for the listing should be completed by June 26th, and the trading of Electrica shares is scheduled to begin on July 3rd. PM Victor Ponta is confident that the operation will be successful and says the revenues will be used for investments. The Minister Delegate for Energy, Razvan Nicolescu, announced this is the largest listing operation in the Romanian stock market, and the price per share will range between 11 and 13.5 lei. Large investors will be able to buy up to 85% of the shares for sale, while the remaining 15% will be offered to small investors. If the demand is higher, the percentage allotted to small investors may be raised to 22%. All investors will also benefit from discounts. In another move, as of July 1st all natural gas producers will have to trade part of their output in the commodity market, and the same measure will apply to natural gas providers starting next year.


    Statements by EC President in Chisinau


    The President of the European Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, is confident in the European future of the Republic of Moldova, and says the country’s signing the EU Association Agreement on June 27th was not intended to affect its economic relations with Russia. While in Chisinau, the EC official explained that the agreement was meant to improve Moldova’s international relations, rather than influence its relations with any other country, Russia included. In turn, Moldovan PM Iurie Leanca appreciated the financial, technical and political support given so far to the Republic of Moldova, and said his cabinet would do its best to shorten as much as possible the period of Moldova’s EU integration.


    Medals for Romania in the European Fencing Championships in Strasbourg


    Romania’s women’s epee team won the gold on Thursday, defeating Russia, 38-34 in the final of the European Fencing Championship in Strasbourg, France. Ana-Maria Branza, Simona Pop, Maria Udrea and Simona Gherman (the latter also winner of the bronze medal in the individual event in Strasbourg) defeated Ukraine in the quarter-final and Italy in the semi-final.