Romanian Post debts "will be rescheduled"

The exemption from VAT for freelancers and micro businesses with turnover below 65, 000 euros, the tax code changes which saves the Romanian Post from insolvency, the allocation of 23 million for preparatory school class, are some of the decisions taken today at the government.

Debts of over 210 million lei in Romanian Post will be rescheduled.

In this way, the government intends to save the company from insolvency.

Two weeks ago, Prime Minister Victor Ponta requested from his body control and internal and finance ministers to conduct a thorough review of how was the Romanian Post managed.
He said that the former administration, with legal assistance provided by a prominent lawyer, lost all the company’s processes by default.

Thus, the Romanian Post found itself having a fine of 103 million to the Competition Council and debts to ANAF of 110 million lei.

In addition, approximately 250 new employed directors of the company are supposed to give account on the situation reached by the Romanian Post, says Prime Minister Victor Ponta.

"By this ordinance, we can save the Romanian Post, because we allow a rescheduling of payments that Romanian Post has to do to other state institutions.

"Otherwise, the Romanian Post, by mismanagement and even fraud in the past, is likely to be default and practically, to close the society as a whole," said Victor Ponta.

The VAT exemption threshold increases to 65,000 euros

The government decided Wednesday the exemption from VAT declaration and payment of authorized individuals and small enterprises whose turnover does not exceed the threshold of 65,000 euros per year.

Referring to military pensioners whose pension were diminished through recalculation, but who since June had to return to state a portion of the proceeds from last year, Victor Ponta stated that they will be exempt from repayment.

"For those, we approved a memorandum, it shall not be taken a penny from their retirement and in Parliament, at the Chamber of Deputies, is a draft that will be discussed during the first meeting, on June 11 or 12 , and there the decision will probably be in favor of those soldiers of not paying what they have received from 2011, "said Victor Ponta.

Also on Wednesday, a series of amendments have been brought to the education law regarding the preparatory class.

The current minister, Liviu Pop, stated that in order to ensure the endowment of over 5.500 preparatory classes, the government already allocated 23 million lei.

Moreover, teachers that will deal with students from these classes will not be beginners, but well-trained staff, said Liviu Pop.

Regarding the Baccalaureate, Liviu Pop said that within all the 638 exam centers will be cameras, the necessary money being already allocated to schools for video equipment rooms.

"The situation of cameras for the baccalaureate exam was solved last week. Within the school units funds were allocated money necessary for supervision of all those approximately, for baccalaureate, 638 examinations centers, I cannot tell you, about 7000-8000 classrooms. All exam rooms from the national tests and the baccalaureate exam will have cameras. The total amount that we have transferred from the Ministry of Education is somewhere around 13 million lei", said Liviu Pop.

The acting Minister for Education also announced the organization of some exams in August for school inspectors, and in October or November, for the position of school director.

Translated by Alexandra-Diana Mircea
MTTLC, Bucharest University