Mrs. Ioana Muntean

First, I would like to make some clarification on unemployment, as we saw this was a topic yesterday which continues to be today.
On February 23rd, Prime Minister has presented partial data that we have available on unemployment registered in February 20. Prime Minister did not refer to the unemployment rate for the entire month of February.This information was made public only yesterday. The data that we had available showed that the unemployment rate remains at the level of January, about 8.1%. The figures for the entire month of February were made public only yesterday.
Also, Prime Minister and Minister of Labor said many times, that the unemployment rate will rise slightly in first half of the year, and it is about to fall in the second half and be just below the unemployment rate in 2009. Even so, we stand by two percentage points below the average unemployment rate across the EU. Economic growth and job creation occur in certain gap. But we have seen, that the Government by the legislative acts that it has adopted– technical unemployment and support extended to those who hire the unemployed - intend primarily to help Romanian keep their jobs.
I can provide some figures related to technical unemployment. In February, we had 1629 employers who made statements to ITM that they can benefit from this measure of the Government and 43,923 employees.
Over 1 to 5 of March, we have 561 employers and 13,465 employees receiving the 75% allowance.
I also want to introduce some measures adopted today, on the Government meeting.
It was approved a decision on the initiation of procedures for expropriation of private buildings, about to be expropriated on the site of "Arad-Timisoara highway. The sum needed rises to about 14.4 million lei, corresponding to 396,380 square feet area. It will be earmarked from the state budget, through the budget of the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure.
A former government decision to trigger procedures for expropriation of buildings located on Arad - Timisoara Motorway work site was approved last year, namely the Government Decision no. 212/2009. The issued normative act aimed at a number of 571 real estate subject of expropriation and the overall amount of damages related to their expropriation amounted to 67.371 million lei.
There are a number of about 490 real estate remaining to expropriate, for which the legal framework for expropriation is to be created and funds necessary to payment are earmarked via the legislative act adopted by the Government today.
It was also decided that Sunday, April 25, 2010, is the date on which partial elections will be conducted for the Chamber of Deputies in the electoral constituency no. 42 in Bucharest - Uninominal College 19 - for the vacant position in this college after Mrs. Daniela Popa resigned before being appointed to the Commission for Insurance Supervision. The timetable for scrutiny has been established this very today: candidatures can be submitted until April 5, 2010, and the campaign will start on April 10 and will end on April 24, at 7:00 am.
Reporter: Do we have to understand that in the last 5 days of February the unemployment rate rose from 8.1% to 8.3%?
Mrs. Ioana Muntean:
Generally, the lay-offs are not made at mid-month but towards the end of it.