Radio România Internațional

Tag: vouchers

  • June 2, 2022 UPDATE

    June 2, 2022 UPDATE

    GOVERNMENT On Thursday the
    Government of Romania passed an emergency order under which pensioners with
    pension benefits below roughly EUR 400 will benefit in July from financial aid
    amounting to EUR 140. The measure is intended to offset the drop in spending
    power for vulnerable people, generated by the recent increase in fuel, food and
    utility prices. Around 3.3 million people will benefit from the aid. Wednesday
    also saw the start of a social voucher distribution programme called ‘Support
    for Romania’. The EUR 50 vouchers are intended for over 2.5 million vulnerable
    Romanians, and can be used for food purchases.


    HOLIDAY Romania, a country
    with an Orthodox majority, Thursday celebrated the Ascension of Lord Jesus
    Christ, 40 days after his resurrection. Orthodox believers celebrated the event
    with painted eggs and traditional Easter meals. Since 1920 Romanians have also
    paid homage to their war heroes on Ascension Day. A series of events have been
    staged to the memory of Romania’s heroes like religious services as well as
    moments of silence in all major institutions across the country. In a message on Heroes Day, the country’s
    Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said ‘our thoughts of gratitude are today directed
    towards those who made the supreme sacrifice for the better destiny of the
    generations to come.’


    POLL Over 70% of Romanians
    blame the war in Ukraine on Russia, according to a poll conducted by INSCOP
    Research over May 16th and 21st. Over 87% of the Romanians believe that Russian
    leaders must be convicted for war crimes and 65% believe the presence of NATO
    and US troops in Romania is a good thing. 50% of the respondents believe
    Ukraine will win the war, whereas 26% believe Russia will be the victor.
    According to the poll, only 25% of Romanians believe Russia is defending
    traditional values against the decadence of the West, as compared to 41% in
    February. 67% of the respondents believe that extraction of natural gas from
    the Black Sea will significantly reduce the country’s dependence on Russian
    gas.


    LETTER Romania’s president
    Klaus Iohannis has sent a congratulation letter to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth
    II of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on her
    anniversary and the platinum jubilee, the presidential administration in
    Bucharest has announced. The Romanian president voiced his belief that the
    Strategic Partnership between Romania and the UK will continue to be
    consolidated in the future, for the mutual benefit of both nations. Starting on
    Thursday, Britain is celebrating for 4 days the Queen’s 70 years of rule, the
    longest in the kingdom’s history. The government has exceptionally approved a
    four-day bank holiday allowing millions to participate in various events staged
    on this occasion, such as street parties, concerts and military parades.
    According to the BBC, the 96-year-old monarch, who has mobility issues and has
    recently cancelled several public appearances, is likely to join members of the
    Royal Family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace to watch the display.


    REFUGEES The government of
    Romania Thursday approved the provision of new emergency humanitarian aid
    amounting to EUR 185,000 for the management of the Ukrainian refugee crisis. Also
    as of Thursday, a governmental information platform is available to Ukrainian
    nationals benefiting from temporary protection in Romania. At
    protecţieucraina.gov.ro, refugees can find all the necessary information on the
    rights and services they can receive, how they can enter Romania or answers to
    frequently asked questions in the legal field. The Romanian Border Police
    announced that on Wednesday little over 10,000 Ukrainian citizens entered
    Romania, down 13% since the previous day. Since the start of the crisis in
    Ukraine on February 24, nearly 1.1 million refugees have entered Romania. Most
    of them transited the country towards Western Europe, but several tens of
    thousands applied for asylum or temporary protection from the Romanian
    government. (AMP)

  • Vouchers for vulnerable people

    Vouchers for vulnerable people

    The Bucharest Government approved on Monday the granting of meal vouchers to low income people. Half of their total cost, of around 620 million euro, will come from non-repayable European funds and the rest from the state budget. The amount of 50 euro will be put on the beneficiary’s bank card every two months. The distribution of bank cards, valid until the end of the year, starts on June 1st.



    The minister of investment, Marcel Bolos, has warned people that the cards’ distribution may take time, given that there are three million beneficiaries. He explained the entire process: The bank cards will be distributed by the Romanian Post National Company. They are issued by authorized units, by the Public Finance Ministry, then taken over by the Romanian Post and distributed to people, who do not need to do anything to get them.



    Most beneficiaries of these bank cards are pensioners – around some 2.3 million – with a net income below 300 euro. Disabled people, families with at least two children or single-parent families with a monthly net revenue of less than 120 euros per family member, families entitled to social aid and homeless persons will also benefit this measure.



    Under the project green-lighted by the Romanian Government, people who are part of more than one of the above-mentioned categories, will benefit the support granted to one category alone. Social vouchers can be used only for the purchase of food and warm meals, upon presenting an ID card. People who are part of any of these categories but who are undergoing military training, are imprisoned or reside abroad while this measure is in place, will not receive social vouchers.



    The agenda of the Bucharest Government also included, on Monday, measures to support investment. The almost uncontrollable rise in the price of construction materials made the Government adjust the price of projects with non-repayable foreign financing. According to minister Marcel Bolos, the measure is needed to support projects under way, such as projects related to transport infrastructure and water and waste systems. (EE)


  • April 12, 2022

    April 12, 2022

    Measures — The Romanian finance minister, Adrian Câciu, has said that the package of social and economic measures “Support for Romania”, announced on Monday evening by the ruling coalition leaders, mainly targets the economy, maintaining jobs, and supporting vulnerable people. The package agreed upon by the Social Democratic Party – PSD, the National Liberal Party – PNL and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania – UDMR is worth over 17 billion lei (about 3.5 billion Euros). The measures include the granting of 50-Euro vouchers every two months for the purchase of basic foodstuffs for low-income families and 30 – Euro vouchers for the more than 150,000 students who receive social scholarships. This amount will be used for food, school supplies and clothing. Other measures proposed are a minimum gross salary of 3,000 lei in agriculture and the food industry as well as money for investments.



    Visit — The European Commissioner for Transport, Adina Vălean, continues today her visit to Bucharest, where she participates in a video conference with the transport ministers from Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. The commissioner announced her intention to discuss with the Romanian officials the ways for a better absorption of EU funds for infrastructure and to find solutions for rail, road, river and sea freight transport from Ukraine and Moldova, Romania’s neighbors. On Monday, the PM Nicolae Ciuca and the European Commissioner for Transport agreed to work closely with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova to facilitate the transport of goods. The agenda of talks also includes the development of the transport infrastructure in Romania, and the impact of the crisis in Ukraine, respectively.



    Statistics — In Romania, the annual inflation rate rose to 10.15% in March, from 8.53% in February, against the backdrop of higher prices for non-food products, foods and services, according to data published today by National Institute of Statistics (INS). Consumer prices augmented by 1.9% in March compared to February. The inflation rate at the beginning of the year (March 2022 compared to December 2021) stands at 4%. At the same time, the annual inflation rate in March 2022 compared to March 2021 is 10.2%. The central bank forecasts an inflation rate of 11.2% at the end of the second quarter of this year, 10.2% at the end of the third quarter of this year and 9.6% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022.



    Accession — After Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova, Romanias neighbor, also received the European Commissions questionnaire for EU accession discussions. The document marks a starting point for a membership decision, being a first step in a long process that should bring Moldova the official status of a candidate country for EU accession. Romania insists on the community bloc receiving its two neighboring countries as soon as possible, following Russias invasion of Ukraine.



    Ukraine – The next period is crucial for Ukraine, Western officials say, as the Russian forces are getting re-equipped and redistributed. President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that Russia is concentrating tens of thousands of soldiers for the next offensive in eastern Ukraine. About 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers and civilians were made prisoner by the Russian troops, according to Kyiv Independent. On the other hand, the White House expects even greater atrocities in Ukraine committed by the Russian troops under the command of General Aleksandr Dvornikov, recently appointed commander. He is nicknamed the “Syrian butcher” after being at the command of the Russian forces involved in the Syrian civil war, during which they brutally bombed numerous civilian targets. The US and the UK are looking into reports according to which chemical weapons have been used by Russian forces in attacks on Mariupol, a strategic port city under siege for more than a month. The Ukrainian Azov Battalion, barricaded in Mariupol, claims that a Russian drone dropped a toxic substance on the soldiers and civilians in the area, saying that several people were suffering from respiratory and neurological problems. More than 10,000 civilians have been killed in Mariupol since the invasion began, Mayor Vadim Boicenko announced.



    Refugees — More than 72,000 people, including 8,350 Ukrainian citizens, entered Romania on Monday, according to the Border Police. 4,924 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania (slightly increase by 0.9%) through the border crossing with Ukraine, and 1,505 (increase by 8.1%) through the border with the Republic of Moldova. Since the start of the crisis, until Monday, more than 685,000 Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania. (LS)

  • February 15, 2021 UPDATE

    February 15, 2021 UPDATE

    COVID-19 In Romania, the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues, with around 700,000 people immunised since December 27. Over 1.1 million doses have been given so far, most of them produced by Pfizer/BioNTech, followed by Moderna, and on Monday people also started receiving AstraZeneca vaccines. According to the authorities, Romania comes 6th in the EU by total number of vaccine doses administered. Meanwhile, the total number of SARS-CoV-2 cases reported in the country since the start of the pandemic is over 763,000. 709,520 people have recovered, and nearly 19,500 died. As of Monday, new rules are in place for travellers coming into Romania from yellow-zone countries.



    PROTESTS Fresh trade union protests are taking place in Romania. On Monday Sanitas Federation picketed the head offices of the Finance Ministry, demanding a higher budget for investments in public hospitals and healthcare staff salaries. Union members say the funds earmarked this year to the healthcare sector to be insufficient, given the pandemic. Protesters then moved in front of the Parliament building. In turn, Cartel Alfa union announced protests at the end of the month, to demand decent minimum wages, fair pension benefits, high-quality public services, resuming collective bargaining, fair taxation and proper enforcement of the law.



    MOTION Romanias parliament is discussing the first simple motion in the current term in office. The motion targets the health minister Vlad Voiculescu, of the USR PLUS Alliance, a partner in the ruling coalition. Entitled Lack of competence and and of responsibility kills people. Vlad Voiculescu—a threat to Romanianshealth, the motion was tabled in the Chamber of Deputies by the Social Democrats in opposition, less than 2 months since the cabinet headed by the Liberal Florin Cîţu came to power. The Social Democrats accuse the new minister of failing to take the necessary measures to prevent the fire that killed patients in a Bucharest hospital. They also claim Voiculescu has not had enough COVID-19 testing centres for citizens. The health minister replied the Social Democrats are the ones to blame for the disaster in Romanias healthcare sector, and added that 3 of that partys former ministers are under investigation for corruption. The USR-PLUS co-president Dan Barna said the Alliance is firmly supporting all its cabinet members, while the Liberal leader Ludovic Orban says the Liberals will vote against the motion on Wednesday.



    HOSPITALITY Many European countries are adopting the holiday voucher system to support the hospitality industry, recovering after the losses incurred during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, whereas in Romania these vouchers are scrapped without sound reasons, Romanian tourism employers say in a news release. Last week PM Florin Cîţu announced that the holiday vouchers for this year would be issued in 2022, to the discontent of hospitality businesses, which argue that this would deepen the crisis faced by this industry. Representatives of the sector had a meeting on Monday with the economy minister Claudiu Năsui, who said the government has earmarked funds to support the industry but that holiday vouchers cannot be issued this year.



    BUDGET The Romanian government wants the budget bill currently under public debate to get Parliaments approval by February 20th along with the amendments accompanying it, including an emergency order cancelling holiday vouchers and other one freezing pensions to the level of last year. According to the government, the present draft budget is set to lay the foundations for a multi-annual approach of the reforms and public finances with a gradual reduction of the deficit from 7.16% this year to 3.4% in 2024. At the same time, the budget targets investments of 5.5% of the GDP, the largest so far. According to Prime Minister Citu, the bill has support from the European Commission, which provides the biggest part of the funds for reform and investments.



    ECONOMY The EU industrial output dropped 1.2% in December 2020, compared to the previous month, according to data released on Monday by the European statistics office (Eurostat). The biggest monthly increases were reported in Denmark (2.4%), Portugal (1.8%), Estonia and Luxembourg (1.6%) and România (0.9%), and the most severe decline in Hungary (negative 2.5%). For the entire year 2020 compared to 2019, the Unions industrial output fell by 8%. Meanwhile, in December 2020 the EU reported roughly 30 billion euros in trade balance surplus, as against roughly 22 billion euros in 2019. As regards Romania, in 2020 its exports fell by 10%, to nearly 62 billion euros, while imports dropped 7%, to 80.5 billion euros, leading to a trade deficit of 18.7 billion euros compared to 17.6 billion the previous year.



    TENNIS The world’s number two tennis player, Romanian Simona Halep is to take on Serena Williams in the quarter finals of the Australian Open. The American has 9-2 wins in head-to-head matches although Simona won a major Wimbledon tournament in 2019. In the doubles eighth finals, the Romanian-Brazilian pair Horia Tecau/Marcelo Melo lost to Ivan Dodig of Croatia and Filip Polasek of Slovakia 4-6, 3-6. (tr. A.M. Popescu)