8.2.08

Japanese Ambassador encourages companies to come to Cluj: ‘Transilvania is the most developed region in Romania and Cluj is the capital of Transilvania’. Delegation of 17 companies on their way including Toshiba and Hitachi.
http: / /www .clujeanul .ro /cluj /companiile -japoneze -vin -la -cluj -2372780


Arab money coming to Floresti, Cluj? Complex to include three 32 floor skyscrapers, hotel and heliport
http: / /www .ziuadecj .ro /action /article?ID=8558

American style development for Campului on 2 hectares?
http: / /www .ziuadecj .ro /action /article?ID=8582

American companies Office Centre and Genpact to occupy 90% of Cluj Iulius Business Centre – Office Centre now recruiting 400 employees. Significant impact on local residential prices anticipated
http: / /www .ziuadecj .ro /action /article?ID=8559

Electrogrup to construct new office block off Calea Turzii
http: / /www .ziuadecj .ro /action /article?ID=8560

French concern about quality of American work on Transilvania Highway but construction is in the fast lane
http: / /www .nineoclock .ro /index .php?page=detalii &categorie=business &id=20080207 -511850

Transilvanian investment company buys stake in Austrian Erste bank
http: / /www .zf .ro /articol _160269 /sif _transilvania _buys _2m _euro _erste _shares _from _vienna _stock _exchange .html


Twelve per cent approx of Romanian charter flights depart from Cluj
http: / /www .nineoclock .ro /index .php?page=detalii &categorie=business &id=20080207 -511844

Ford suggest Craiova takeover will go ahead
http: / /www .nineoclock .ro /index .php?page=detalii &categorie=business &id=20080207 -511846

7.2.08

Vice President to host Nokia party
http: / /www .mediafax .ro /economic /nokia -lanseaza -luni -prima -linie -de -asamblare -a -telefoanelor -mobile -la -jucu .html?1686;2371069


Government to spend 7 million Euros promoting tourism
http: / /www .mediafax .ro /engleza /romanian -govt -to -spend -eur7m -on -tourism -promotion .html?6966;2366454

Golf course to be built on Calea Turzii? Land owner prefers to develop new sport rather than sell land for blocks!
http: / /www .ziuadecj .ro /action /article?ID=8497

[italic]If this goes ahead the land owner should be given the key to the city. This land could be sold for 500 Euro psm but the owner has a greater vision than greed.[/italic] CB.


6.2.08

[italic][italic]Low cost airlines opening up Romanian property market for British investors: Cluj cited as a new route and good reports on Cluj-based marketing company[/italic]
http: / /www .telegraph .co .uk /property /main .jhtml?[ /italic]xml= /property /2008 /02 /05 /pbudgetair105 .xml
http: / /english .hotnews .ro /stiri -business -2299014 -low _cost _routes _make _romania _real _estate _attractive _for _citizens .htm


Tesco and Aldi to have a presence in Romania by the end of 2008?
http: / /www .adevarul .ro /articole /primele -magazine -tesco -si -aldi -in -romania -din -2008 /335099


Prices explode in areas close to Cluj’s new shopping Malls (Floresti and Marasti/Georgheni which also has the Economics University on its doorstep); and Jucu land prices going sky high
http: / /www .adevarul .ro /articole /clujul -un -oras -in -plin -clocot -imobiliar /332609


Transilvania Highway will probably be completed by 2012 states American Ambassador
http: / /www .autostrada -transilvania .ro /articole /ws12 .htm

UPS recruiting for its new Jucu centre
http: / /www .zf .ro /articol _159767 /ups _cauta _200 _de _angajati _la _cluj .htm

German company, Goldberg, fined for failing to register with Romanian authorities the employment of foreign workers including Germans on Nokia construction project
http: / /www .zf .ro /articol _159854 /adevarul _ _autoritatile _romane _ _in _conflict _cu _antreprenorul _lui _nokia .html
http: / /english .hotnews .ro /stiri -business -2293870 -companies _building _nokia _village _romania _fined .htm


Nokia tells Germans to stuff it!
http: / /english .hotnews .ro /stiri -business -2299216 -nokia _will _not _refund _bochum _factory _construction _subsidies .htm


Iranian floating idea of golf course around lakes at Campeneste (Jucu)
http: / /www .ziuadecj .ro /action /article?ID=8447

Ramada, Novotel and Marriot hotels for Cluj?
http: / /www .ziuadecj .ro /action /article?ID=8453

Proposed tunnel under Cluj city centre runs into a problem…. the Romans got there first!
http: / /www .ziuadecj .ro /action /article?ID=8449

[italic]…emphasising the strategic importance throughout history of the City. I seem to have said this before! CB[/italic]

Piata, the local weekly publication in which you can advertise anything and everything has 36 pages of jobs this week. Advertisers include Price Waterhouse Coopers, Emerson will a full page spread, IQuest (again), the Danish company Ferrosan, German company Deichmann, Saint Gobain,Weber, Siemens, several Romanian Dutch companiess and numerous banks not to mention Mexem, distributors of Stone Creek, Puma, Wrangler and Lee jeans who are here once again as they are every week. In spite of excellent bonuses and incentives they just cant get enough staff.
[italic]
If you know any British seeking to change jobs or who are unemployed just send them here with the promise of only 16% tax![/italic]



5.2.08

Real estate developments may be booming, but the market in affordable housing is well below the European average: Bucharest shuts out State housing for the poor
http: / /www .thediplomat .ro /reports _0208 _1 .php

[italic][italic]contributing to?[/italic][/italic]

One per cent of Bucharest’s population addicted to heroin
http: / /www .thediplomat .ro /reports _0208 _2 .php


Ian Tilling, founder of the Casa Ioana Homeless Shelter talks to Vivid about the worsening problems facing Bucharest's homeless and the difficulties of securing affordable accommodation in the capital
http: / /www .vivid .ro /index .php /issue /90 /page /talk%20talk%20talk /tstamp /1198738004


Cluj becoming a Technopolis according to American Hi-Tech publication
www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206103523

[italic]and repeated in:[/italic]

http: / /www .eetimes .com /rss /showArticle .jhtml?articleID=206100582 &cid=RSSfeed _eetimes _newsRSS


Seventeen per cent rise in tourists coming to Cluj: growth in hotels to meet commercial and tourist demand
http: / /www .ziuadecj .ro /action /article?ID=8424

Heavy emphasis on road developments in Cluj region (Ardeal)
http: / /www .informatiacluj .ro /index .php?id=12 &tx _ttnews[tt _news]=5065 &tx _ttnews[backPid]=7 &cHash=1cf32c0071

Whisper softly!! Speculation about Mercedes coming to Cluj
may not be helpful
http: / /www .informatiacluj .ro /index .php?id=12 &tx _ttnews[tt _news]=5003 &tx _ttnews[backPid]=7 &cHash=34ee1fed4a

[italic]Good point!!! When international companies enter into discussions with government bodies about potential investments in a region they usually have confidentiality clauses agreed. Breach of such clauses leads to speculation and can have a negative effect upon proposed foreign investment. In this country ‘nothing is certain until it happens’. CB.[/italic]

Prudent national bank raised foreign currency interest rate
http: / /www .nineoclock .ro /index .php?page=detalii &categorie=business &id=20080205 -511804

Bank Governor warns against inflationary spiral: increase in wages must be justified by increased productivity
http: / /www .mediafax .ro /engleza /ctrl -bker -warns -against -danger -of -inflationary -spiral .html?6966;2364331


Credit: dangerous and expensive
http: / /www .informatiacluj .ro /index .php?id=12 &tx _ttnews[tt _news]=5105 &tx _ttnews[backPid]=7 &cHash=a1b6d5840d

Net average monthly salary up 12.9% to 1266 RON (£253) http: / /www .mediafax .ro /engleza /romania -s -dec -net -avg -salary -up -12 -9 -on -mo -to -ron1 -266 .html?6966;2363714

A ‘Must Read’ : foreign investments are the source of economic growth obtained in Romania. But, this economic growth is based on imports
http: / /www .nineoclock .ro /index .php?page=detalii &categorie=business &id=20080205 -511806

Americans opening their eyes to the ‘secret’ of Romania
http: / /www .mediafax .ro /engleza /romania -s -econ -potential -highest -among -se -european -states -u -s -ambassador .html?6966;2363982

Daimler to put Romanian market under their microscope
http: / /www .zf .ro /articol _159595 /daimler _officials _investigate _romanian _market .html

Cluj cosmetics producer to extend export sales
http: / /www .zf .ro /articol _159382 /farmec _cluj _ _plus _10 _ _la _vanzarile _pe _pietele _ue .html

Cluj employment authorities to lure Romanians back from Italy
http: / /www .clujeanul .ro /cluj /patronii -clujeni -fac -angajari -in -italia -2363030

As from April 28th Austrian Airlines add Baia Mare to existing destinations of Cluj, Timisoara, Iasi and Sibiu
http: / /www .ziuadecj .ro /action /article?ID=8432

4.2.08

Jucu – A Romanian Silicon Valley. Will Mercedes take the bait?
http: / /english .hotnews .ro /stiri -business -2273072 -jucu _romanian _silicon _valley _will _mercedes _take _the _bait .htm

Romanian motorcycle sales increase 80% in 2007
http: / /www .mediafax .ro /engleza /romanian -motorcycle -mkt -up -80 -in -07 .html?6966;2361433

Changes to be advised by EC to Ford Craiova contract which will not scupper the deal
http: / /www .mediafax .ro /engleza /ec -might -demand -changes -in -the -automobile -craiova -privatization -contract .html?6966;2361479

RON improved against Euro possibly due to national bank intervention
http: / /www .mediafax .ro /engleza /romanian -leu -hits -2 -week -high -vs -euro -dealers -suspect -ctrl -bk -intervention .html?6966;2359961

Finance Minister asserts that the government will keep deficit below the 3% GDP agreed with EC and supported by World Bank. 6.8% growth in economy for 2008 – the fastest in Europe.
http: / /www .rompres .ro /full _news .php?c=17,18,19

but Commercial Bank of Romania goes further and projects economic figures in the longer term…
http: / /nineoclock .ro /index .php?page=detalii &categorie=business &id=20080204 -511798


National bank to raise interest rate again?
http: / /nineoclock .ro /index .php?page=detalii &categorie=business &id=20080204 -511795

Second Fitch report downgrades four Romanian banks
http: / /nineoclock .ro /index .php?page=detalii &categorie=business &id=20080204 -511802



Serbian Presidential elections: A stark choice of pro-Russia or pro-European Union
http: / /nineoclock .ro /index .php?page=detalii &categorie=worldnews &id=20080204 -19122


2.2.08
Transylvania’s Saxon heritage and the interest of Prince Charles
http: / /travel .timesonline .co .uk /tol /life _and _style /travel /destinations /europe /article3283563 .ece

[italic]Prince Charles is a strong supporter of sustaining Romania’s heritage. Clcik the link at the end of this article and check out the Mihai Eminescu Trust of which he is Patron. Visci is a World Heritage Site. Last year Charles purchased a Saxon house in the village of Viscri…he wouldn’t have paid much more than 10,000 Euro for it. To take a viewing go to [/italic]http: / /www .princeofwales .gov .uk /newsandgallery /gallery /the _prince _of _wales _s _property _in _viscri _romania _671756949 _1484960691 .html Other sites worth looking at include www.saxontransylvania.com and you can always search for Sibiu.

[italic] Prince Charles also has an interest in Bontida Castle just north of Jucu. See http: / /www .transylvaniatrust .ro /index2 .php?lang=en and http: / /travelromania .tripod .com /i _romaniapictures3a _1 .htm The castle dates back to the 13th century and is of Hungarian origin. CB.[/italic]

German company, Deichmann, to extend the number of outlets in Cluj
http: / /www .ziuadecj .ro /action /article?ID=8291

1.2.08
Serbia, Kosovo and Russia: Serbia EU’s future entrant?
http: / /www .nineoclock .ro /index .php?page=editorial

What the newspapers say on the 1st of the month
http: / /english .hotnews .ro /stiri -press _review -2271496 -what _the _newspapers _say _february _1 _2008 .htm

KPMG report on investor confidence
http: / /english .hotnews .ro /stiri -business -2266704 -kpmg _report _trust _romania _business _future _going _down _among _foreign _investors .htm

Hunting season opens for land at Jucu
http: / /english .hotnews .ro /stiri -business -2264892 -some _420 _acres _hunted _near _nokias _factory _jucu _romania .htm


12 cities – Cluj included - prioritised for economic development and one Billion Euro European funding –but no sign of Baia Mare
http: / /www .hotnews .ro /stiri -ultima _ora -2267488 -12 _orase _desemnate _poli _crestere _romaniei .htm

The Miracle of Jucu….Someseni water into German beer?
http: / /www .adevarul .ro /articole /miracolul -de -la -jucu /339870


[italic]I’m not responsible for this article which covers actual and speculative Jucu investment…both companies, land and property and investor interest but get a mention in para 3.

The final para is of more importance and, if, what I believe is at the moment speculation, happens to be true, then we can foresee Nokia workers quenching their thirst on German beer. If Tuborg do come here that would be a nice incentive for those Germans being made redundant at Bokum to accept relocation to Jucu. Note my speculation on this a week or so ago. CB.[/italic]


Nokia to increase Jucu production units from five to eleven due to increased demand in Europe, Middle East and Africa?
http: / /www .zf .ro /articol _159240 /nokia _ _cererea _din _zona _ne _a _adus _la _jucu .html



MMM Autoparts has factory in Campia Turzii ( effectively a suburb of Cluj) already producing components for Mercedes and other international car manufacturers with significant capacity to expand. Production Manager cites arguments in favour of Cluj: low cost labour, technical expertise, capacity to expand, proximity and access to border with Hungary.
http: / /www .clujeanul .ro /cluj /mercedes -a -ajuns -deja -la -cluj -2358539


Director of SSIF Broker, Adrian Ceuca, suggests that regardless of the national economic situation Cluj will sustain increased economic development
http: / /www .clujeanul .ro /cluj /afaceristii -clujeni -nu -se -tem -de -recesiune -2359512

Mountain View luxury apartments, Zorilor being marketed at 1200 Euro psm…an attractive price in this location
http: / /www .clujeanul .ro /cluj /apartamente -de -lux -la -pret -de -casa -2359296

Cluj Napoca City Council has record budget of 990 million RON
http: / /www .clujeanul .ro /cluj /cluj -napoca -are -buget -record -2358373