Two Romanians and a British have embarked on a five-day memorial walk from Bucharest to Brasov, hoping to raise funds and increase awareness for injured Romanian rugby players. Istvan Balint, the general manager of the Gyopar Club Hotel in Hungary, Alexandru Benga, a former martial arts practitioner and Martin Dixon, the editor of The Expat Life magazine started the 170-kilometers walk this morning and expect to arrive in Brasov on Saturday. Other walkers are expected to join on the last section of the track, between Sacele and Brasov, on Saturday.

Around 40 percent of private companies in Romania estimate an average 6.8 percent raise in salaries in 2011, compared with an average 4.3 percent salary raise in 2010, according to a PayWell Romania survey on salary and benefits, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).

Local firm Shopping Center Holding, which has taken over the formerly known Tiago Mall Oradea in a deal estimated at EUR 30.5 million, will build the 30,000 sqm Oradea Shopping City on the premises, the firm has announced.

The move towards sustainability and green systems in buildings has become more obvious in the recent period in Romania, since energy efficient, green projects help owners cut a great chunk of the running costs. This has been among the major reasons for tight-budget developers and building owners to search for green solutions. Hotel owners, investment funds, office developers and even high-end residential owners have started to invest in turning their buildings greener.

More than 100 local communities from Romania have applied for the competition organized by Ovidiu Rom and the Education Ministry this summer and 14 of them have won USD 150,000 in financing to help them get every poor child in pre-school. The financing came from The Alex Fund, a New York based NGO, which includes actor Ethan Hawke as a member of the board.

Romania and the Netherlands could continue to collaborate on environmental issues, such as water management. The Romanian Environment and Forestry Minister Laszlo Borbely has recently met a Dutch delegation headed by Deputy Minister of Foreign Economic Affairs Roderick van Schreven and discussed potential projects.

The biggest cryogeny center in the European Union, worth over EUR 11 million, will be built in Ramnicu Valcea, northwest of Bucharest, according to Ion Stefanescu, the director of the National Institute of Research and Development for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies (ICSI), quoted by Agerpres. The project will take two years to be completed.

Polish consultancy firm Accreo, which specializes in obtaining European funds, state aid and in business consultancy, is working on EUR 50 million of projects through its recently – opened Romanian subsidiary, the company has announced.

At least 10,000 trade union members will take part in a rally and street protest, which will be organized in Bucharest on Tuesday, September 28 by the Trade Union National Bloc (BNS).

*Bankers try to change the Government Ordinance 50 to avoid lawsuits with unhappy customers – in Ziarul Financiar
*Richest 500 Romanians have a wealth of EUR 28 billion Dinu Patriciu, Frank Timis and Ioan Niculae on the podium – in Ziarul Financiar
*BNR will keep interest rate at 6.25%this year, analysts believe – in Ziarul Financiar
*CEC Bank has 150 forced executed houses and land plots – in Ziarul Financiar
*Notaries drop tariffs by as much as 90% for sale contracts, refinancing and inheritances – in Gandul

Romania’s Supreme Defense Council (CSAT) will meet on Thursday at the presidential palace to discuss a series of topics, including Romania's accession to the Schengen Area. This is an ordinary quarterly session, whose date was set in early September and announced to the Council members on September 13.

Henrik Nensen is the new head of the national sales company for Ford in Romania, the company has announced. Nensen will be replacing Paul Flanagan. Nensen has joined Ford in 1971, having held several positions in marketing in sales with the company ever since. Before joining Ford Romania, he was responsible for the market launch of products within the Sales and Marketing division of Ford Europe.