Romanian government programme designed to support small farmers
Romania’s government is seeking to encourage growth of the middle class in rural areas. While on a visit to the Transylvanian town of Alba Iulia on Monday, Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloş is expected to launch a programme on the matter. The programme would allow farmers to ensure their family support basically on farm income. Such measures would allow hiring of family members, a boost in farm associations, purchase of raw materials, efficient sales of products, and improved access to credits for development and co-funding. There are currently 3 million farmers in Romania with only 1 percent working in farm associations.
InterAgro general manager under investigation
The general manager of InterAgro, Romania’s leading agricultural and fertiliser conglomerate, appeared before prosecutors with the country’s Directorate for Investigating Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) on Monday. InterAgro chief Nicoleta Toncea is under investigation for money laundring. Former Economy Minister Adriean Videanu is also under investigation for his alleged involvement in the file. Prosecutors say that Mr. Videanu and Variujan Vosganian, also a former Economy Minister in early 2000s, approved and signed six orders protecting the financial interests of a criminal network led by Ioan Nicolae. In another development, Mr. Nicolae was charged for allegedly receiving favourable discounts on gas transfers between December 2006 and September 2010. Damages may hit 62 million euros.
Protesters on hungers strike in western Romania
Some 35 trade unionists at the thermal energy plant in Mintia, the third largest plant of its kind in Romania, are on hunger strike as other workers raised a protests in the plant’s yard on Monday. Protesters call for the resignation of managers of Energy Complex in the western county of Hunedoara (CEH). Similar protests were reported in the western mining towns of Lonea and Vulcan last month when hundreds of miners have decided to remain in the underground at the end of their working hours. Both miners and electricians are concerned about their future following the collapse of CEH, a plant allegedly under bankruptcy threat.
A Romanian student among victims of a Spanish bus crash
A Romanian student was reported among the 13 people who died in Spain following a bus crash in the province of Catalunya on Sunday. The other victims include seven Italians, two Germans, one Frenchwoman, one Uzbekistani and one Austrian. The thirteen girls were part of a large group of foreign exchange university students returning from a festival in the Spanish city of Valencia. Most of the victims, who have not been named, were aged between 22 and 29 and were Erasmus exchange students. At least 30 passengers were injured in the crash.
Alexandru Danga
