In the beginning of this week, gold broke a new historic high, according to the quotation of the Romanian National Bank, of 147 lei for one gram, about 45% higher than the price it had in the beginning of the year. Thus, for the second year in a row, gold proved one of the strongest and safest investments available. read more...

In furniture and home décor stores, sales of seasonal items are likely to rise by 20-30% from a year ago amid the broader offer, according to the estimates of the main players in the field. read more...

Decathlon French sporting goods retailer, owning five stores domestically, announced it will reach at least 20 stores in Romania in ten years, but the retailer's representatives do not provide information about the number of stores due to be opened next year, saying talks are still underway. read more...

Gabriel Stoicescu, the former general manager of Petrom LPG, the liquefied petroleum gas distribution arm of Petrom, the biggest domestic company, on December 1 became the general manager of ButanGas Romania, replacing Florin Preda. read more...

Medical services operator Medas is investing over 5 million euros in a hospital in the Piaţa Victoriei area of Bucharest, with the facility to open at the end of 2011. read more...

Peter Weiss, 52, a former chairman of RBS Romania in 2005-2009, is likely to be appointed as the CEO of Bancpost soon, a bank controlled by EFG Eurobank Greek group, according to banking sources. read more...

American-based Groupon, which has developed a global network of websites with 40 million subscribers, proposing to users in every country a "deal of the day" every day - the possibility to purchase a product or a service at a discount for a limited period of time, estimates it could reach 500,000 subscribers for the service that will become operational in Romania next week. read more...

The state budget could raise around 180 million euros a year in additional revenues from taxes due for 90,000 new jobs as a result of eliminating red tape and of modifying the temporary work regulations, say representatives of the Foreign Investors Council. read more...

Modern retail, put by ZF at 7-9 billion euros, will continue to expand, but chances are slim for a new player opting for a greenfield investment on a market with more than 650 hypermarkets, supermarkets, cash & carry stores and discount stores. read more...

One of the biggest pharmaceuticals distributors in Romania, Relad, has legal problems caused by a second company, Relad International Pharma, which filed for insolvency last week. read more...

Google on Tuesday expanded its Street View service to allow users to see panoramic images of the streets of eight Romanian cities – the first news announced by the company since it opened an office in Romania in early November. read more...

Revenues on the Romanian telecom market continued to decrease this year, but the decrease rate is below that registered in 2009, when the telecom market shrank 15% compared to 2008, to EUR3.9 billion, communications regulator ANCOM president Catalin Marinescu said Wednesday. read more...

Romanian hydrologists on Wednesday issued a flood warning for the Danube, with a code orange for Calafat-Bechet segment, in the southern Dolj County, and code yellow for the rest of the river's Romanian sector. read more...

Romania will issue only 5,500 work permits for foreigners next year, 2,500 fewer than this year, and will issue fewer work authorizations to temporary employees, for whom social security contributions are not paid. read more...

Google starts off with two employees a the local office opened in November in Romania and plans to hire another 6 next year, Romanian branch chief Dan Bulucea declared. read more...

Sales of Renault cars in Romania will drop 11% this year, to 9,000 units, and the French carmaker’s market share will increase by 1.2 points, to 8%, as the overall Romanian car market will have a downfall trend, according to the carmaker. read more...

Romanian mothers will be able to opt for two years maternity leave and receive up to 1,200 lei (EUR1=RON4.2998) as a child-rearing benefit, the Government decided Wednesday. read more...

Sums representing salary rights won in court by Romanian public sector employees total 7 billion lei (EUR1=RON4.2998) and the money will be paid in tranches starting 2012, to allow the Government to stay within the fiscal target agreed with the International Monetary Fund. read more...

Companies will be able, starting next year, to pay social security contributions and income taxes through a single statement, submitted online to the National Fiscal Administration Agency (ANAF), Romanian Prime Minister Emil Boc announced Wednesday. read more...

Romanian cattle farmers will receive state aid amounting to 410 lei/head (EUR1=RON4.2998), according to a Government decision allotting RON569 million for around 225,000 beneficiaries. read more...