Oil and gas company OMV Petrom posted a net loss of EUR 23.3 million in the third quarter of the year. However, the company managed to post a profit of EUR 332 million for the first nine months of the year, which was up 44 percent compared to the same period of last year.

*Record unemployment among University graduates: 53,000 graduates can't find jobs – in Ziarul Financiar
*How does Microsoft Romania keep its employees: salaries above average, premium cars and subscriptions to massage sessions – in Ziarul Financiar
*Nestor: Lawyers' fees have dropped by 40%. From the gray area there are kamikaze offers which make it hard to compete – in Ziarul Financiar
*Vodafone revenues down 12% to EUR 425 million, due to recession and drop in tarriffs – in Ziarul Financiar
*Smaller damages made room for EUR 26 million profit for VIG – in Ziarul Financiar

Faced with the current international financial crisis, most companies have given up on their human resources development programs. But the alternative of using European Union funding could allow companies to train their staff or develop HR programs, as Romania has access to a large amount of European funding dedicated to human resources. Romania-Insider.com looks at funds for HR and at the companies that got them.

Vega Company has bought the tourist complex Faleza near the Danube quay in Galati city for EUR 2.6 million, the Tourism Ministry has announced. Five bidders attended the bid for the 3,500 sqm hotel complex on the Galati Danube quay. The starting price was of EUR 1.1 million

Multinational company CA Technologies has opened a representative office in Bucharest, according to Madalin Bratu, channel account manager for Romania with CA Technologies, quoted by Agerpres newswire.

The Romanian Transport Ministry has proposed seven projects, worth almost EUR 440 million, to improve ship transport on the Danube. Funding for these projects, which are part of the Danube Strategy, should come from European Union operational programs.

Romania’s trade deficit narrowed to EUR6.9 billion in January to September, from EUR 7.1 billion in the year-earlier period, as exports rose more rapidly than imports, according to the country’s statistics institute INS. Exports rose 26.5 percent on the year to EUR 26.8 billion, while imports were up 18.9 percent to EUR 33.7 billion.

Intercapital Invest brokerage company launched the Initial Public Offering (IPO) for the closed-end investment fund iFond Gold, which will invest in shares of mining companies listed on foreign stock markets. The fund aims to invest 40 percent of its resources in Gabriel Resources shares, which runs the Rosia Montana gold mining project, as well as in European Goldfields, which runs the Certej gold mining project in Apuseni mountains in Romania.

Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) posted subscribed premiums of EUR 396.6 million in the first nine months of the year, down 13 percent on the same period last year. However, the insurer managed to grow its pre-tax profit by 56 percent, to EUR 25.9 million.

Telecom company Vodafone Romania posted EUR 425.7 million in revenues between April and September this year, down 12.4 percent on the same period last month. Its profit before taxes (EBITDA) was of EUR 177.1 million, covering around 41 percent of the revenues.

Oil and gas company OMV Petrom posted a net loss of EUR 23.3 million in the third quarter of the year. However, the company managed to post a profit of EUR 332 million for the first nine months of the year, which was up 44 percent compared to the same period of last year.

*Record unemployment among University graduates: 53,000 graduates can't find jobs – in Ziarul Financiar
*How does Microsoft Romania keep its employees: salaries above average, premium cars and subscriptions to massage sessions – in Ziarul Financiar
*Nestor: Lawyers' fees have dropped by 40%. From the gray area there are kamikaze offers which make it hard to compete – in Ziarul Financiar
*Vodafone revenues down 12% to EUR 425 million, due to recession and drop in tarriffs – in Ziarul Financiar
*Smaller damages made room for EUR 26 million profit for VIG – in Ziarul Financiar

Faced with the current international financial crisis, most companies have given up on their human resources development programs. But the alternative of using European Union funding could allow companies to train their staff or develop HR programs, as Romania has access to a large amount of European funding dedicated to human resources. Romania-Insider.com looks at funds for HR and at the companies that got them.

Vega Company has bought the tourist complex Faleza near the Danube quay in Galati city for EUR 2.6 million, the Tourism Ministry has announced. Five bidders attended the bid for the 3,500 sqm hotel complex on the Galati Danube quay. The starting price was of EUR 1.1 million

Multinational company CA Technologies has opened a representative office in Bucharest, according to Madalin Bratu, channel account manager for Romania with CA Technologies, quoted by Agerpres newswire.

The Romanian Transport Ministry has proposed seven projects, worth almost EUR 440 million, to improve ship transport on the Danube. Funding for these projects, which are part of the Danube Strategy, should come from European Union operational programs.

Romania’s trade deficit narrowed to EUR6.9 billion in January to September, from EUR 7.1 billion in the year-earlier period, as exports rose more rapidly than imports, according to the country’s statistics institute INS. Exports rose 26.5 percent on the year to EUR 26.8 billion, while imports were up 18.9 percent to EUR 33.7 billion.

Intercapital Invest brokerage company launched the Initial Public Offering (IPO) for the closed-end investment fund iFond Gold, which will invest in shares of mining companies listed on foreign stock markets. The fund aims to invest 40 percent of its resources in Gabriel Resources shares, which runs the Rosia Montana gold mining project, as well as in European Goldfields, which runs the Certej gold mining project in Apuseni mountains in Romania.

Vienna Insurance Group (VIG) posted subscribed premiums of EUR 396.6 million in the first nine months of the year, down 13 percent on the same period last year. However, the insurer managed to grow its pre-tax profit by 56 percent, to EUR 25.9 million.

Telecom company Vodafone Romania posted EUR 425.7 million in revenues between April and September this year, down 12.4 percent on the same period last month. Its profit before taxes (EBITDA) was of EUR 177.1 million, covering around 41 percent of the revenues.