More than half of the Romanians with incomes of over 500 lei (EUR1=RON4.2892) saved money for unpredictable situations in 2010, and most of them preferred to keep it at home, according to a survey conducted by Daedalus Millward Brown for Raiffeisen Banca pentru Locuinte. read more...

The Cluj-Napoca city hall has contracted a 300 million-RON (around 71 million-euro) loan from CEC Bank over 30 years to cover planned or ongoing investments. read more...

Delhaize Belgian group, which owns Mega Image stores, has added 38m euros to the capital of Romanian stores over the past six months, with capital injections being operated by a group subsidiary registered in the Netherlands. read more...

Raiffeisen, the seventh bank domestically in terms of assets, Austrian-held, is selling loans worth 30-35m euros to individual customers each month, a level similar with the one registered in 2006, and its representatives say the volume of funding released on this client segment in 2010 is set to top 300m euros at the end of the year. Sales have risen in recent months owing to refinancing deals. read more...

Making portfolios transparent would increase the level of financial education and would make contributors less reluctant to invest their savings elsewhere other than in banks. read more...

Banca Feroviară, controlled by businessman Valer Blidar, brought Jean Andronie, former executive vice-president for corporate banking with BCR in 2004-2008 period, to the top management team. read more...

Romania’s Constitutional Court will discuss opposition liberals’ challenge to the recently adopted pension bill on December 15, the Court said Thursday. read more...

Romanian President Traian Basescu said on public television late Wednesday the solution found by the Government for the issue of child rearing benefits and parental leave is good because it brings together all possible options. read more...

Romanian President Traian Basescu said Wednesday a Kazakh delegation will arrive in Bucharest in January to discuss the debt owed by oil company Rompetrol. read more...

Volksbank Romania, the sixth largest bank on the Romanian market by assets, which stand at 4.8 billion euros, could change hands over the next few months, after the management of Austrian group Oesterreichische Volksbanken-AG decided in mid-week to drop retail operations on markets in the region. read more...

The loan portfolios of leasing and consumer finance companies dropped by over 3bn RON (around 720m euros) this year, to 31,5bn RON in late October, considering new loans did not keep up with repayments, NBR data reveal. 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 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...

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...

Romania's excises on fuels and tobacco will be raised as of January 1, 2011, which could lead to new increases in the price of such products, according to a draft emergency ordinance amending the Fiscal Code. read more...

Most Romanians will spend this year's winter holidays at home, with family or friends, and almost half of them will save up for this period in advance, though their budget is significantly smaller than last year's, says a survey by MEDNET. read more...

Romania’s Government approved the 2011 state budget in a Cabinet meeting late Monday and the bill is to be forwarded to parliament immediately, people close to the matter told Mediafax. read more...

The government plans to send on Tuesday, in the Parliament, the law on the 2011 budget law. The project will be adopted by the executive in a special meeting either on Monday night or Tuesday, PDL deputy President Gheorghe Flutur announced. read more...

Romania taxes labor excessively, while capital is taxed below European limits, which leads to tax evasion because people would rather be paid in dividends or receive undeclared salaries, said Romanian Businesspeople Association (AOAR) president Florin Pogonaru. read more...

The European Commission has warned the Romanian Government the application of the unitary wage law on the country’s energy regulator ANRE could affect the institution’s independence which could bring about an infringement procedure, people close to the matter. read more...