80826 World Bank Updates July 26 - August 6, 2013 Agriculture and Rural Development 2020-30 The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the World Bank organized a wrap-up workshop to discuss a vision paper for this sector in 2020-30. The event was organized in Bucharest on July 30, in the framework of the reimbursable advisory services for the ministry and within the framework of the Bank's technical assistance project “Strengthening the Agri-Food Sector formulation at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development�. The World Bank team taking part was coordinated by Hans Kordik, Resident Program Coordinator and Gabriel Ionita, Task Team Leader. The workshop was attended by high-level representatives of the Ministry, as well as local stakeholders from public administration, farmers, researchers, and the media. Its objective was to summarize and draw conclusions of the 7 regional stakeholder consultations in Craiova, Timisoara, Cluj, Sibiu, Iasi, Constanta and Pitesti. The consultations were conducted during June-July 2013. The joint Bank and Ministry team collected inputs and views on the future sector priorities, ensuring a balanced territorial and sectorial representation. Both the survey results and the outcome of regional consultations will feed into the development of an inclusive and far-reaching medium and long-term vision document. The vision paper is due to be submitted to the Ministry at the end of August 2013. Economic News Political News Sector News    IMF Revises up Romania’s GDP Băsescu Called a Urgency of CSAT Romanian Minister: Original Document of Growth Forecast for 2013-2014. Meeting at Cotroceni Palace. Expensive Bechtel Highway Contract, The International Monetary Fund According to the Presidential Nowhere to Be Found. As the Transilvania (IMF) recently revised the economic Administration, CSAT had “a very highway contract between Romania and growth forecast for Romania, constructive meeting�, but nothing new American builder Bechtel was recently canceled, expecting the GDP to go up to 2 was decided regarding CFR Marfa. the authorities are now having a hard time percent in 2013 and 2.25 percent in The prime minister was not present at finding the original contract signed in 2003, in 2014. The previous forecast of the the CSAT meeting, he is on vacation order to finally make it public. The already IMF and the Romanian authorities for 10 days. The government is led controversial contract was added annexes in included a growth of 1.6 percent for during this period by Deputy Gabriel 2005 - which considerably raised the highway this year and 2 percent for 2014. Oprea. Read More » price - and was formally declassified in 2006. Read More » Read More » Former Romanian MP Arrested for Romania Agrees with IMF and EC Theft of Oil Products and Tax Medical Group Romgermed Gets EU Funding on Third Loan, a EUR 4 Billion Evasion. Gabriel Bivolaru, former MP for Medical Research, Plans Building New Precautionary Credit Line. The from the Social Democracy Party of EUR 3 Mln Laboratory in Romania. new EUR 4 billion preventive Romania representing Ialomita county, Romgermed medical group’s laboratories financial deal covers the next two was recently arrested by prosecutors in recently obtained EU funding for a research years. Each of the two financial Constanta, after being accused of project on inflammatory diseases, which is a first institutions will provide half of the stealing oil products, tax evasion and for Romania. The medical group’s project, which amount. The deal will be discussed money laundering. Read More » was created and submitted one and a half years in the IMF board this fall. Read More ago, is part of the Sectorial Operational » Cristian David: Romanians Abroad Programme - Research and Development and its Can Be a Vector of Country's file:///M|/...m/Zach/Romania%20NEWS%20OUO-8/WB_Romania_Internal_Newsletter%20July%2027%20-%20August%206,%202013.htm[8/30/2013 3:19:28 PM] World Bank Updates main objectives are research, development and The Analysts Expect BNR to Modernization. Romanians abroad innovation in healthcare. Read More » Reduce the Key Interest to 4,75% can be a vector of the country's on Monday. Most financial analysts modernization through the use of Romanian Company Dafora to Provide believe the National Bank of human capital, but also by encouraging Drilling Services for Chevron under USD 10 Romania (BNR) will reduce the key them to invest in Romania their Mln Contract. Dafora, owned by businessman interest in monetary policy from 5% savings accumulated over the years George Calburean, and oil and gas company to 4.75% and the minimum abroad, said in an interview given to Chevron recently signed a contract for drilling compulsory deposits could stay AGERPRES the Minister Delegate for services in Silistea, Popeni and Iana areas in unmodified both for liabilities in lei as Romanians abroad, Cristian David. Romania’s Vaslui county. The value of the well as for those in foreign currency. Read More » contract is of around USD 10.3 million, without Read More » VAT . Read More »  PORTFOLIO Modernizing Maternities in Moldova. Four medical units in Northern Moldova region in Romania will receive the final tranche from the IRDB and EIB funds to continue the works for maternities’ modernization. The medical units are some of the 19 beneficiaries of the Health Sector Reform 2 Project. Public Private Partnerships in Transport. A two days training took place in Bucharest on June 26-27, 2013 organized jointly by the Ministry of Transport and the World Bank within the framework of ongoing Advisory Services on Institutional Review of PPP Framework - Assistance to the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure to improve its capacity to prepare and manage Public-Private Partnerships. The goal of the training was to present good practices and the recommendations of the Bank team in relation to the institutional and legal framework for PPP in Romania, highlight important issues in the development of a viable PPP program, and increase understanding of key concepts and their applications to the preparation of PPP projects. Supporting the Judicial Reform. A team, led by Klaus Decker, will be in Bucharest during September 5-13, 2013 to assess the current implementation of the Judicial Reform project. The official opening of the newly renovated courthouse in Pitesti will take place on September 9, as part of the mission. Capacity Building in the Public Administration. A one-month long mission on the “Analysis of capacity building activities in the public administration� RAS project is unfolding in August. The team will hold a workshop on the Interim Findings with the Romanian counterparts and will continue the analysis and recommendations for the draft report to be shared in September with GoR for comments. Strengthening Institutional Capacity of MoPF. Wayne Bartlett and Dragos Dinu will be working periodically in Romania during August on the advisory services for improving the Human Resources Management and mechanisms at the Ministry of Public Finances (MoPF). The two consultants will continue to work on the HRM Strategy, finalize the training needs assessment and detail the approach for the HRM training plan. “A New Chance� for Mental Health. The Neuro-pshiatricaly Recovery and Rehabilitation Center has opened in Todirești, Suceava county. The center is part of the Romania Social Inclusion Project. The development objective of the project is to improve the living conditions and the social inclusion of the most disadvantaged or vulnerable people (Roma, persons with disabilities, children at risk, and victims of domestic violence) in Romania. In Todirești, approximately 50 patients will benefit from better health care and rehabilitation services according to their psychical disorders. file:///M|/...m/Zach/Romania%20NEWS%20OUO-8/WB_Romania_Internal_Newsletter%20July%2027%20-%20August%206,%202013.htm[8/30/2013 3:19:28 PM] World Bank Updates COMMUNICATION Online Facelift for ECA. Visit the new ECA homepage and like us on Facebook to spread the word on World Bank activity in the region. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT Get Rewarded for Sharing Your Lessons-learnt. SmartLessons is a World Bank Group awards program which enables development practitioners to share lessons learned in development operations. SmartLessons are short papers of 2-4 pages, written by professionals for professionals that share first-hand, practical lessons that can be useful for colleagues working on similar projects/programs or facing similar issues. All Bank Group staff are eligible to submit SmartLessons papers. Learn more.  NEXT MISSIONS & EVENTS Dates Purpose Team Lead/Team Missions   RAS on Roma Study on Diagnostics and   Policy Advice for Supporting Roma July 30 – August 9  Integration in Romania / Integration TTL: Ashma Mathema, Florin Botonogu  Strategies for Urban Marginalized Communities in Romania  1 August – 30 RAS on Improvement of Human Resource TTL: Wayne Bartlett, Dragos Dinu  August  Management instruments and mechanism in order to strengthen the institutional capacity of the MoPF  1 August – 30 Analysis of capacity building activities in Sorin Ionita, Dragos Dinu, Radu Comsa, Ciprian Ciucu, August  the public administration RAS Otilia Nutu, Suzana Dobre, Gary Reid September 5-13  Judicial Reform Project TTL: Klaus Decker, Valeria Nikolaeva Events August 22 Workshop - RAS on Administrative Alberto Leyton, Dragos Dinu  Capacity and Decentralization  September 9  Opening event of the Pitesti Court of TTL: Klaus Decker, Daniel Kozak  Appeal  Please send your Mission and Events Schedule updates to spintilii@worldbank.org. For more details, check out the updated Missions and Events in the SharePoint calendar (use Windows login credentials: wbUPI and password). Your contributions to the internal newsletter are kindly appreciated at dkozak@worldbank.org and bgabor@worldbank.org. The weekly editorial deadline for this newsletter is midday on Monday. Past issues of the newsletter are available. file:///M|/...m/Zach/Romania%20NEWS%20OUO-8/WB_Romania_Internal_Newsletter%20July%2027%20-%20August%206,%202013.htm[8/30/2013 3:19:28 PM]