Romanian Parliament approves law regulating sales of high-value state property
The plenary of the Romanian Chamber of Deputies adopted on Wednesday, August 12, a bill establishing the mechanism for the negotiation, approval and conclusion of transactions by the state.
According to the new regulations, transactions concerning immovable property belonging to the state with a value greater than RON 500,000 (EUR 95,000) will have to be approved by government decision.
The same bill stipulates that sales will take place through a government memorandum, following a proposal from the relevant ministry, supervisory authority or the specialized body of the central public administration exercising a real right over the immovable property or justifying an interest, as the case may be.
Payment for the services corresponding to the evaluator shall be ensured from the state budget, through the budget of the relevant ministry, the supervisory authority or the specialized body of the central public administration.
The bill received 198 votes “in favor” and 75 “against,” after having been adopted by the Senate, the first notified Chamber, on July 30, according to Profit.ro.
From among the supporters of the bill, Social Democratic (PSD) deputy Adrian Câciu argued that the procedure provided is a transparent one, because all transactions are approved by government decision, and the civil or criminal liability concerning vaccine procurements remains in force.
At the moment, Romania faces an EUR 600 million payment for unpaid COVID-19 vaccine doses to pharmaceutical company Pfizer.
On behalf of the center-right reformist Union Save Romania Party, or USR, deputy Alexandru-Paul Dimitriu pointed out that in the absence of such a procedure, the state may have to pay additional amounts in the event of forced execution.
In reply, representatives of the far-right opposition party Alliance for the Union of Romanians (or AUR) claimed that the government intends to sell state-owned companies without a tender through the new mechanism.
“AUR will challenge this law before the Constitutional Court, and we will try to annul it. We do not know what the Bolojan Government wants to transact in such a hurry, whether it is Hidroelectrica, Nuclearelectrica, Transgaz or Romgaz,” said AUR deputy Valeriu Munteanu, referencing the largest state-owned and publicly listed companies.
(Photo source: Inquam Photos|George Calin)
