What the newspapers say: January 29, 2009
The salaries paid from the state budget must be frozen for at least six months, so that Romania may demand better terms for foreign credits – this is one of the conclusions after the negotiations on Wednesday, in which president Traian Basescu was actively involved. So be it, Parliamentarians must have said, but only after approving a 20% raise for themselves, at about the same time the real estate market saw its first official confirmation of its free falling.
The personnel-related expenses in the House of Deputies will be 22% larger this year, according to the budget draft agreed upon by the two governing parties on Wednesday, Evenimentul Zilei reads. The way the money will be spent is not yet known, but an increase of wages sounds like a reasonable supposition.
At the same time, the salaries for budgetary personnel will grow only 5% this year, just to cover the inflation rate, same Evenimentul Zilei reads. The only exception may be represented by teachers with low wages, who may receive up to 33% more – a 15% raise in April and 17% in September.
Basescu was in the very midst of negotiations regarding salaries, visiting the Finance Ministry, meeting labor union leaders and the discussing with the Social Democrats in the Government. Economic experts declared for Gandul that lower expenses is a must, in order to receive an advantageous foreign loan. Several officials, including Basescu, said that Romania currently needs some 7 billion Euros.
Cotidianul presents on Thursday a wide article unveiling the scheme former Prime Minister Adrian Nastase used to gather money for the electoral campaign. All deeds come from the „Quality Trophy” file, in which Nastase will have to answer in Court to corruption accusations. Cotidianul shows how a simple seminar about the quality of constructions may become a huge source of electoral campaign financing, especially when one forces institutions without any connections to the construction businesses pay their entry fees.
Speaking of constructions: notaries officially decreased the reference price for real estate properties by 15% in their 2009 work frame, Cotidianul reads. The reference price is an index used to calculated taxes and fees for selling, inheriting or acquiring properties.