Thursday, January 28th, 2016

Romanian President Klaus Iohannis expected to sign smoking ban into law

A draft law designed to prohibit smoking in public places is expected to come into force after Romanian President Klaus Iohannis will sign the act into law. The move comes after the country’s Constitutional Court ruled that the act was consitutionally legal on Wednesday. The new law prohibits smoking in virtually all public places and workplaces, including offices, theaters, museums, libraries, educational institutions, schools, commercial establishments, enclosed shopping centers and retail stores, restaurants, bars, private clubs and gaming facilities. Cells in high security detention centers and special facilities in airports are excepted. The ban also includes electronic cigarettes. The law will come into force 45 days after its publication in the country’s Official Gazette. Failure to comply with the law is punishable by fines between Ron100 – 500  for individuals and Ron5,000 for legal persons. Currently 17 of the 28 EU members introduced smoking bans in enclosed public places.

EY conference in Romania

The Romanian branch of Britain’s accountancy giant Ernst&Young organises its 10th Annual Tax Conference in the capital Bucharest on Thursday. The conference is a full-day event meant to provide an update on the Romanian tax regulations which impact the 2015 and 2016 tax reporting in respect to direct and indirect taxes. The event is also expected to focus on latest developments in International Taxation field and latest changes in the new Fiscal Procedure Code. Similar events are expected in such cities as Timişoara, Cluj-Napoca and Iassy in February.

Caraş-Severin county prefect resigns

The prefect of Romania’s south-western county of Caraş-Severin resigned on Thursday. Prefect Nicolae Miu-Ciobanu is expected to quit the job on February 1 after being questioned for his alleged involvement in a corruption-related case of tax evasion and money laundring. Mr. Ciobanu had to answer questions by prosecutors and police officers on Wednesday before being released. A former police officer, Mr. Ciobanu worked as head of the City Police in Caransebeş and chief of the Caraş-Severin Territorial Labour Inspectorate. Interior Minister Petre Tobă submitted Mr. Ciobanu’s resignation to the cabinet for approval early on Thursday.

New corruption files at the DNA

Romania’s National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) opened a new corruption-related file against a former head of Romania’s National Property Restitution Authority on Thursday. Crinuţa Dumitrean is charged with abuse of office and a bribe of 400,000 euro. Eight other people are also involved in the case including economist Horia Simu and expert Horaţiu Alin Dima. Ms. Dumitrean has been previously under house arrest since February 2015 for her part in the corruption case of Alina Bica, former head of the country’s  Directorate for the Investigation of Organizsd Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT), also detained for abuse of office.

Alexandru Danga