Blue Cheese For Your Public Servants

People at the top of the Ministry for Domestic Affairs have quite exquisite tastes they want the tax-payers to provide for. Two recently public bidding offers published in the Official Journal of Romania caries proof of that.

The produce the ministry wants to acquire for its needs of public representation are among others: blue cheese, cigarettes, cognac, vodka, tequila and other liquors.

This, while Romania is officially under budgetary constraints, and the head of the tax authorities is seen more often on the television screens than movie stars.

For these reasons it is rather strange the range of products the Ministry of Domestic Affairs considers proper for welcoming the official delegations visiting it.

The places considered for the delivery of the merchandise - capital Bucharest and sea-side resort of Mamaia - makes us think that indeed the public servants’ leisure time was more on the mind of the officials putting up this list of "must haves" refined foods and liquors, than the interests of the tax-payers.

More upsetting is the fact that, meanwhile, the police force is still in need of gasoline for its patrolling cars or of proper office equipment, since soviet era type-writers are still in use.

Romania, like many other states, has clear rules regarding the public spending for representation needs, but this time high-ranking officials overstepped the regulations and legitimately a huge scandal should ensue, followed by the proper resignations of those responsible.

The list of produce the Ministry of Domestic Affairs wants to acquire goes like this:

turkey meat 135 kilos;

canned meat 660 kilos;

mineral water (sprinkle) 76,500 bottles;

mineral water (flat) 18,500 bottles;

fountain water 200 liters;

hard cheese 4,600 kilos;

blue cheese 60 kilos;

spread cheese 6,700 boxes;

cigarettes 40,650 packs;

cognac 340 bottles;

whisky cream 50 bottles;

vodka 660 bottles;

whisky 516 bottles;

palinka 20 bottles;

tequila 10 bottles;

gin 375 bottles;

digestive liquor 40 bottles;

non-alcoholic beer 1,530 boxes;

light beer 4,340 boxes / 100 bottles;

non-alcoholic beverages 43,410 bottles of 0.5 liters each;

non-alcoholic beverages 21,050 bottles of 2 liters each;

energizing beverages 890 boxes;

wine by the bulk 9,300 liters;

bottled wine 3,440 bottles;

"Your Money" Is a Public Awareness Campaign Conducted By Jurnalul National

As a future full-member of the European Union, starting with January 1st, 2007, Romanians will become officially as European as all the other Europeans.

This will bestow upon us rights, but also requirements.

One of these demands is to make transparent - that is public - all expenses from public money.

Jurnalul National will conduct a campaign to inform its readers on the readiness of our public institutions to comply with these requirements.

Transparency and also efficiency of public spending are the two guidelines we will search for during our coverage.

"Your Money" is a public awareness campaign aimed at no particular person, party or public institution. Those that will be covered here will get that honor only on, well, merit.

We also aim at keeping our campaign positive with highlighting those examples of wise spending from public funds.

Translation : ANCA PADURARU