BCR, the largest bank by assets, has only temporarily suspended from its offer RON-denominated real estate loans and euro-denominated unsecured consumer loans in order to have its cost structure match provisions of the law on credits granted to the population, which came into force at the end of last year. The bank will return with its full range of loans by the end of January, say BCR officials. read more...

Over 100 investors, company managers and traders yesterday attended the seminar on international capital markets in 2011 organised by Ziarul Financiar in partnership with international investment bank Saxo Bank, thus confirming Romanians' high interest in foreign currency investments and foreign shares. read more...

German group Metro has kept its sales level steady in Romania, at around 2 billion euros, according to ZF estimates, favouring Romania for investments over other countries with a stronger and more stable economy, such as Poland's. read more...

Banca Transilvania, the fourth largest bank on the domestic market in terms of assets, is set to invest 15m euros in an Oracle technology, due to support the bank's entire activity, from retail to Internet banking. This is one of the biggest investments operated by a bank in an IT system. read more...

Greece's Piraeus Bank, the only domestic bank now selling gold to retail clients, plans to deliver 250 kilograms of gold to clients this year, over 60% more than in 2010. read more...

The real estate company controlled by Swedish billionaire Ingvar Kamprad, the owner of IKEA, has brought a 33-year old Romanian at the helm of Romanian operations, who is focusing on Timpuri Noi project, but is also mandated to find new acquisition targets. read more...

OMV Petrom (SNP), the biggest Romanian company on the Stock Exchange, has not yet finalised the procedure for the exit of shareholders who in August voted against the company's break-up. read more...

A new way of paying family doctors, budget guidelines for drug prescription, a 70% limit on hospital headcount expenses, the elimination of the exception allowing retail pharmacies to be opened in malls, these are some of the novelties of 2011 in the healthcare system. read more...

The move of the issuers from the Rasdaq to the regulated market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange or to the Alternative Trading System (ATS), which is proposed by the CNVM (in a draft of the Romanian National Securities Commission, is affecting the rights and the confidence of investors and could lead to the demotion of over 95% of the issuers listed on the Rasdaq, a press release sent yesterday by the Association of Capital Market Investors (AIPC) states. read more...

The Romanian Government said Tuesday it will continue its partnership with the World Bank, but there were no talks of a new loan agreement in the meeting between Prime Minister Emil Boc and World Bank official Philippe Le Hourerou. read more...

Romanians without income will have to pay monthly health insurance contributions in the amount of 37 lei (EUR1=RON4.2581), or 5.5% of the minimum wage, unless they are registered as receiving some form of social assistance. read more...

Real estate investment in Central and Eastern Europe reached EUR5 billion last year, up 90% on 2009, with Romania drawing in 7% of the total, according to property consultants CB Richard Ellis. read more...

Almost all general, economic and weekly business newspapers registered a significant drop in the number of readers according to the latest National Audience Study for October 2009 – October 2010, compared to the previous study. read more...

Romanian transporters blame the Government for the increase in fuel prices due to the value added tax and excise hike, as well as the leu's depreciation against the euro and the dollar. read more...

Romania’s Foreign Affairs minister Teodor Baconschi declared that the Schengen space is full of vulnerabilities, mentioning that the EU south border is breached by North African illegal immigrants from the Middle East. read more...

The Competition Council concluded 18 investigations of which 11 were older than 3 years and applied fines worth 31.49 million euro compared to six investigations concluded in 2009 and 2.3 million euro fines, a report of the institution released on Tuesday reads. read more...

Talks between the Romanian Prime Minister and World Bank Vice President for Europe and Central Asia, Philippe Le Hourerou tackled a confidential project, which was confirmed by sources within the government for HotNews.ro but who refused to give too many details. read more...

CEC Bank needs funding to be able to compete with other banks and therefore a possible privatisation is the main topic to be discussed over the next period, Public Finance Minister Gheorghe Ialomitianu said at a press conference on Monday. read more...

Building houses by the National Housing Agency (ANL) will be given priority support this year in those towns where the local public administration is getting involved in the sale of such homes, Minister of Regional Development and Tourism Elena Udrea said in Braila (northeast of the capital) on Monday. read more...

The Technical Commission within the Ministry of Labour finished on Monday the Employers’ Law whose main consequence is to clear up the social dialogue, only five or six entities out of a total of fourteen remain to take part in national negotiations, declared Ioan Cezar Coraci, chairman of the General Confederation of the Romanian Industrial Employees (UGIR-1903). read more...