Amcham Romania calls for action after Colectiv tragedy: Change is needed at all levels of the Romanian society!

The American Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham Romania), one of the leading business associations in Romania, has rallied to the call for action following the tragedy in Bucharest’s Colectiv club (#Colectiv). This comes to show that an important part of the business community in Romania supports the movement for change that started in Romania with the protests on Tuesday night, which has already led to Prime Minister Victor Ponta's resignation. „In the context of the recent tragic loss of 32 lives and over 150 severely injured in the Friday arson at the Colectiv Club in Bucharest, the American Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham Romania) calls for an imperative and immediate reform of the law enforcement process in Romania and a zero tolerance to bribery and corruption so that Romania becomes a safe country for its citizens,” Amcham representatives wrote in a press release. Several Oracle Romania employees were among the victims of the tragedy in Colectiv club. On top of other tragedies that go unnoticed by the public at large but which leave behind hurt families and communities daily, the recent tragedy that fired up the entire Romanian society proves once again that on the long term, corruption, carelessness, self-interest and lack of performance not only prevent the country's progress, but also waste valuable resources and, most importantly, put human life at risk, according to Amcham. „We consider that so far the anti-corruption efforts have proven to be inefficient and change is needed at all levels of the Romanian society, from central administration to the most remote education or healthcare unit. While authorities share most of the responsibility when it comes to ensuring clear regulatory frameworks, enforcing and supervising safety in all areas of practice, each counterpart, business and individual, needs to be a change driver towards a safer and healthier environment.” „Romania’s transformation is a collective effort, and unless sources for change do not involve simultaneously both bottom-up and top-down processing, tragedies of all sorts will continue to strongly impact the Romanian people.” Amcham was founded in 1993 and it now represents over 400 members - U.S., international and local companies, with total investments worth over USD 20 billion and generating approximately 250,000 jobs. editor@romania-insider.com