Petru Lificiu will be dismissed "for arrogance"

Prime Minister Victor Ponta said Thursday, in Iași, according to Radio Romania Actualități correspondent, Raluca Diaconiuc Daria, that he would dismiss the Vice President of National Regulatory Authority for Energy, Petru Lificiu, because of the past decisions.

According to Mediafax, Prime Minister appeared annoyed also by the statements of ANRE Vice president on the 5 percent increase in electricity prices, accusing him of arrogance.

"The statements of current or former officials on higher prices at electricity bother me. I will dismiss the vice president of ANRE. It's a kind of arrogance that helped some officials to be hired and were hated by people for this reason.

"This is a difficult period, but how to relate to people is important. You have to explain why electricity prices increases by 5 percent.”

"Perhaps Petru Lificiu sees no increase of 5 percent. I do not accept this kind of arrogance for which PDL was hated," said Victor Ponta, in a press conference at Iasi.

The increase by 5 percent of electricity price "means nothing", equivalent to consumption generated by the lighted lamp forgotten in the bathroom, said Wednesday, Petru Lificiu, the vice president of the National Regulatory Authority (ANRE), which argues that the decision regarding price increase has not been adopted yet.

"An increase of 5 percent at the end of the month means nothing. Which means do not forgot the lamp lighted in the bathroom when we go to work," said Petru Lificiu.

"I will not defend anyone"

Related to fuel price at the pump, the prime minister said, according to Radio Romania Actualitati correspondent, Raluca Diaconiuc Daria, that he is thinking of solutions, such as dialogue with producers, but also to tax measures for maintaining the current prices.

Regarding the measures to flooded areas, Prime Minister Victor Ponta said that there are 24of 24 hours monitoring and state of alert.

A good thing is that there are no human victims, and farmers who were affected will receive compensation.

There is the possibility of using money from the government reserve fund.

On Thursday afternoon, Prime Minister Victor Ponta will attend the meeting platform for the cooperation of central government institutions under the National Anticorruption Strategy 2012-2015, and his message from Iași is that he has all the determination and knowledge, but also political power to take action against those accused of corruption.

Victor Ponta maintains that he will never defend anyone, whether that person belongs to another party or to USL.

Victor Ponta recalled Thursday at Iasi, regarding the solidarity tax - that currently has demanded the evidence of persons who have high salaries in the budget area and, afterwards, he will make a qualitative analysis - informed us our correspondent Raluca Diaconiuc Daria.

Translated by Alexandra-Diana Mircea
MTTLC, Bucharest University