What the newspapers say: August 31, 2010 

Mosquitoes bring the West Nile virus in Romania, one newspaper warns after 2 Romanians died and another 7 are hospitalized. Elsewhere in the news, the private company American European Marketing and Enterprises, what reported a fabulous profit in 2009 was considered when the GDP was made which means that the economy dropped by 10% not by 7% and the budgetary deficit was 0.2% higher. Last but not least, chaos at paying health contributions for copyright contracts, authorities have contradicting scenarios.

Gandul warns readers about the new West Nile virus, brought by mosquitoes from Greece. In Romania, 2 people have died and another 7 are hospitalized. The newspaper reads that there is no vaccine or specific treatment for the virus.

The symptoms are: nausea, fever, stomach sickness, headaches. The Health ministry recommends people to wear long sleeve clothes, have mosquito protection at windows. Two Romanians died, after they were infected with the virus and another seven are infected.

Even though the cases were confirmed on Friday, the ministry informed the population on Monday night. Overall, 80 people were suspected. One person that dies was from Bucharest, district 4 and another one from Constanta, South East Romania.

Those who lost their lives had 75 and 80 years old and were accusing other sicknesses as well. For the West Nile infection there is no virus or cure, experts declared for the newspaper. However, the severe cases that end in death are few.

Apparently, the mosquitoes could have come from Bulgaria or Greece, but the recent storms in Romania might have transported mosquitoes as well. If the weather gets warmer, Romania might face an epidemic.

Elsewhere in the news, Romania libera reads that the private company American European Marketing and Enterprises, that reported a fabulous profit in 2009 was considered when the GDP was made, National Statistics Institute President Vergil Voineagu declared for the newspaper.

In other words, in reality, the economy dropped by 10% and not by 7% and the budgetary deficit was 0.2% higher. Of Romania’s GDP for 2009, 497 billion lei, 15.47 billion lei represents the fictive capital increase with which the private company increased its profits for 2009.

The company has no employee, no public activity and obtained the revenues by increases the value of the shares owned at an obscure US company.

Currently, Romanian fiscal inspectors, together with their American and German counterparts check the activity of the company. So far, the American IRS confirmed that the activity of the Romanian company is minimal.

Experts can only suppose that the company’s stakeholders decided to over-value their shares and thus on paper increase their profits to influence the prices of shares.

Evenimentul Zilei reads about the new chaos related to the contributions copyright contract owners and others have to pay to the health fund. Those who have a labour contract and copyrights in the same time or those who live off rents are compelled to pay to the health fund.

The new rules are very unclear regarding the debts to the health system. A week ago people knew that only those who earn exclusively from copyright contracts have to contribute to the health system.

However, officials of the National Health Insurance House claim now that a person who has both a labour contract and a copyright contract has to pay contributions twice, for the first contract each month and for the latter, annually.

However, the law rules that the payment is monthly. There are many situations in which the law compelled people to pay contributions to the health system but people did not know and were asked to pay for the last five years.