Mariana Nica

European instruments do not sufficiently support local authorities and SMEs, and the representatives of the member states participating in the Brussels decision-making process must listen more to the voice of the local public authorities, Minister Delegate for European Affairs Victor Negrescu told a Friday's specialist conference.

Romania imported dairy products and eggs worth 84.8 million euros in the first two months of 2018, up by 4.1pct over the same period of last year, while exports increased by 25.2pct, to 21.4 million euros, according to the data centralized by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

The number of commercial companies and authorized individuals in insolvency increased by 17.38pct in the first four months of the year, compared to the same period of 2017, to 2,965, according to the data posted on the website of the National Office of Trade Registry (ONRC).

Romania is not facing fiscal sustainability risks and it's very interesting to see that from all the recommendations that our country has received, 68 percent are fulfilled, declared, Wednesday, Public Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici at Victoria Palace.

Seven million Romanian contributors have 12.9 percent less in their retirement saving accounts because of the non-observance of the Pillar II contributions increase calendar, which resulted in the loss of both the money promised under law and of the money multiplication effect, argue Romanian Business Leaders (RBL) representatives.

The average spot electricity price on the OPCOM energy exchange hit on Monday 245 lei per MWh, twice as high as the 112 lei per MWh recorded two weeks ago, the exchange operator announced on its website.

At peak demand between 9:00 and 22:00 hrs, electricity due for delivery on Monday May 21 is priced at an average of 277 lei per MWh, with a high of 343 lei at 21:00 hrs.

The Romanian economy advanced 4 percent in the first quarter of 2018 in unadjusted terms and 4.2 percent when seasonally adjusted, as against the same period of 2017, according to first estimates released on Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

The Romanian seaside and the Danube Delta will once again return in the focus of Russian tour operators after a 27-year absence from the market, President of the Federation of Romania's Tourism Promotion Associations (FAPT) Corina Martin told AGERPRES.

Romania will no longer need gas imports from the Russian Federation after natural gas extraction begins in the Black Sea, and the country could jump to the first place among European countries with the lowest dependence on energy imports, Deloitte Senior Expert Razvan Nicolescu told a news conference on Monday.

The Board of the National Bank of Romania (BNR) has decided to raise the benchmark interest rate to 2.5 pct from 2.25 pct per annum beginning 8 May, a release by the central bank sent to AGERPRES on Monday informs.

The key rate has been unchanged since February 2018, when it was raised to 2.25 pct per annum.