National Press Review, 3 March

‘NAD launches another investigation into NAFA’, the Evenimentul Zilei writes, pointing out that the president of the institution, Sorin Blejnar, might be heard.

According to the Evenimentul Zilei, the two men were denounced by an Italian businessman, himself subject to a tax evasion investigation carried out by NAD.
The octopus is even larger: the Italian businessman is being investigated together with the former state secretary of the Ministry of Finance, Graţiela Iordache.

The same daily writes about ‘the most interesting deed investigated by NAD’, namely the promise that the Italian businessman made to one of the NAFA directors: ONE MILLION euros to turn a blind eye to an illegal cigarette factory.

Journalists are suspecting Sorin Blejnar, who might be subpoenaed by NAD to be heard.

‘High ranked Mob’s vendetta’, the Adevărul writes about the same topic, making public some new information: it seems that a part of the bribe given by the Italian businessman to the NAFA superior advisor ended up in the pocket of Viorel Comăniţă, former director of the Directorate General of Safeguards Customs and Central Excise of the National Customs Authority (NCA), who meanwhile occupied the position of interim head for the NCA.

His assertion was quoted by the Adevărul’s journalists, ‘I believe that the so-called news is nothing but revenge against those who didn’t mange to discover tax evasion and money laundering operations done by his company.’

There are different versions related to the same topic as the Jurnalul Naţional reveals,

‘Celestini blows up the NAFA and the Customs’. Moreover, the same daily points out another corruption case: Costinel Milescu, mayor of Olteniţa, is being investigated. He is being accused, among others, for having sold illegally public land. The Jurnalul Naţional emphasizes that these lands are related to the building of the Bucharest-Danube Canal, a project that Boc’s Government has intended to resume since the beginning of this year.

Today, the Gândul suggests taking an analytic look upon the growing fuel prices. Drivers’ pockets are taking fire and more expensive fuel could determine a two or three per cent boost of food prices, an increase that people will notice in the next thirteen days.

The Gândul reveals that the churn in North Africa and in the Middle East influences the fuel market’s imbalances.

‘Barrel’s value has already got to 116 dollars. Not only foreign forecasters but also the Romanians have already been talking about breaking the 150 dollars rate’. After being called by the Gândul, Dragoş Frumosu, president of the Trade Union for Food Industry asserted, ‘there will be a tragedy. Even though prices might increase only with a few per cents per each product, this means a mainstream boost for Romanian’s monthly incomes.’

The România Liberă asks, ‘why does Romania have not only a high unemployment rate but also vacancies?’ This happens because ‘the most vacancies are poorly paid jobs that require secondary education and college graduates or blue-collar workers. Not even a high school graduate would accept such a job.

He either keeps on looking for something else or accepts the offer but for a very short time. Even employers think about hiring him or not taking into account that they don’t know how long is the employee going to stay’, as the România Liberă quotes a Human Resources’ expert.

Translated by: Cristina Anamaria Maricescu
MA Student, MTTLC, Bucharest University