Romania’s economy will shrink at the fastest pace among emerging states in Europe this year, while its estimated growth of 1.5 percent for 2011 will be the smallest in the region, the International Monetary Fund said in its latest global outlook report. The IMF forecasts Romania's gross domestic product will decrease 1.9 percent in 2010, from a steep contraction of 7.1 percent a year earlier.

*Romania enters world top 10 of corn producers – in Ziarul Financiar
*Renault – There is no difference between Mioveni and France – in Ziarul Financiar
*Nokia brought us to Romania, say Japanese Anritsu – in Ziarul Financiar
*The pollution wave from Hungary will reach Romania in a couple of days – in Ziarul Financiar
*Ikea pays EUR 1.8 million to Catarama after a law suit of several years – in Ziarul Financiar
*9 banks and 8 law firms want to reform the stock market – in Ziarul Financiar

Several Romanian artists have started to become famous abroad, some even more famous internationally than in their home country. They have started to work with international producers, deliver European tours and rank high in European charts, while shooting their videos abroad. Romania-insider.com looks at some of the names that got international fame.

Romania’s upcoming agreement with the International Monetary Fund will “certainly” be lower than its current EUR 13 billion deal, IMF mission head Jeffrey Franks said Wednesday, adding that the financing program will most likely be a precautionary one.

Romania's electricity consumption was 4.3 percent higher in the first eight months of the year than during the same period last year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute. The population used 3.1 percent more electricity, while the public lightning use dropped by 3 percent.

Romania imported 24 percent more natural gas during the first eight months of the year compared to the same period of last year, while the local natural gas production was 3 percent lower during this interval, according to data from the National Statistics Institute.

Romania and Bulgaria were taken out of Skype's Unlimited Europe services package from October, according to Bulgarian agency Novinite. The package allowed users make unlimited phone calls to 24 countries in Europe for 4,99 British pounds a month and used to be available for Romania and Bulgaria too.

Registrations of Romanian Dacia cars in Spain tripled in the first nine months of the year, to 15,559 units, from 5,193 cars in the same interval last year, said Spanish carmaker association ANFAC.

US real estate investor Rockefeller Group International has bought the 75 percent stake in Europa Capital, an investment fund manager which has properties in Romania. The company manages Europa Emerging Europe Fund, which focuses on Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Croatia and Serbia. The fund has properties in Bucharest, Timisoara and Cluj Napoca.

The proposal to cut the income tax from 16 to 10 percent has passed the budget commission in the Senate. The proposal to diminish the flat tax was submitted to the Senate in June this year by a group of senators from the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), among which current Economy Minister Ion Ariton.

Romania’s economy will shrink at the fastest pace among emerging states in Europe this year, while its estimated growth of 1.5 percent for 2011 will be the smallest in the region, the International Monetary Fund said in its latest global outlook report. The IMF forecasts Romania's gross domestic product will decrease 1.9 percent in 2010, from a steep contraction of 7.1 percent a year earlier.

*Romania enters world top 10 of corn producers – in Ziarul Financiar
*Renault – There is no difference between Mioveni and France – in Ziarul Financiar
*Nokia brought us to Romania, say Japanese Anritsu – in Ziarul Financiar
*The pollution wave from Hungary will reach Romania in a couple of days – in Ziarul Financiar
*Ikea pays EUR 1.8 million to Catarama after a law suit of several years – in Ziarul Financiar
*9 banks and 8 law firms want to reform the stock market – in Ziarul Financiar

Several Romanian artists have started to become famous abroad, some even more famous internationally than in their home country. They have started to work with international producers, deliver European tours and rank high in European charts, while shooting their videos abroad. Romania-insider.com looks at some of the names that got international fame.

Romania’s upcoming agreement with the International Monetary Fund will “certainly” be lower than its current EUR 13 billion deal, IMF mission head Jeffrey Franks said Wednesday, adding that the financing program will most likely be a precautionary one.

Romania's electricity consumption was 4.3 percent higher in the first eight months of the year than during the same period last year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute. The population used 3.1 percent more electricity, while the public lightning use dropped by 3 percent.

Romania imported 24 percent more natural gas during the first eight months of the year compared to the same period of last year, while the local natural gas production was 3 percent lower during this interval, according to data from the National Statistics Institute.

Romania and Bulgaria were taken out of Skype's Unlimited Europe services package from October, according to Bulgarian agency Novinite. The package allowed users make unlimited phone calls to 24 countries in Europe for 4,99 British pounds a month and used to be available for Romania and Bulgaria too.

Registrations of Romanian Dacia cars in Spain tripled in the first nine months of the year, to 15,559 units, from 5,193 cars in the same interval last year, said Spanish carmaker association ANFAC.

US real estate investor Rockefeller Group International has bought the 75 percent stake in Europa Capital, an investment fund manager which has properties in Romania. The company manages Europa Emerging Europe Fund, which focuses on Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Croatia and Serbia. The fund has properties in Bucharest, Timisoara and Cluj Napoca.

The proposal to cut the income tax from 16 to 10 percent has passed the budget commission in the Senate. The proposal to diminish the flat tax was submitted to the Senate in June this year by a group of senators from the Democratic Liberal Party (PDL), among which current Economy Minister Ion Ariton.