2023-06-20 15:33:00
Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu brought Adrian Chesnoiu, the former Minister of Agriculture, sent to court by DNA, to the meeting with retailers on Tuesday to discuss the scheme for reducing commercial additives to basic food products, sources close to the discussions told HotNews.ro on Tuesday. The list of products taken into account includes: bread, milk and dairy products, eggs, meat, oil, flour, cornmeal, vegetables and fruits, but at the moment no solution has been reached.
Adrian Chesnoiu, former Minister of Agriculture Photo: AGERPRES
We recall that in the first meeting of the PSD-PNL Government led by Marcel Ciolacu, the PSD leader spoke of a “maximum urgency” – a “scheme to reduce commercial additions to a number of basic food products throughout the chain, right up to the shelf”.
According to HotNews.ro sources, Prime Minister Ciolacu proposed on Tuesday a voluntary agreement to reduce prices, as was agreed in the case of milk, and in the event that it will not work, a normative act is also taken into account.
Although the new Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, also participated in the discussions, Adrian Chesnoiu was more vocal, who at one point took over the discussion after the PSD leader, Marcel Ciolacu, left.
“After the list of products is agreed, the price reduction mechanism will be established, which will be discussed at the next meeting, so that we can reach a compromise that is okay for everyone,” Adrian Chesnoiu allegedly said. , according to HotNews.ro sources
The list of products taken into account includes: bread, milk and dairy products, eggs, meat, oil, flour, cornmeal, vegetables and fruits, but for now no solution has been reached, according to HotNews.ro sources.
How Adrian Chesnoiu explains his presence at the discussions with retailers
Contacted by HotNews.ro, the former Minister of Agriculture, Adrian Chesnoiu, confirmed the information.
“I attended the meeting in my capacity as a deputy in the Agriculture Committee of the Chamber of Deputies. I was invited as a result of the dialogue I had over time with the representatives of the retailers,” Adrian Chesnoiu told HotNews.ro.
What retailers are saying
After more than two hours of discussions, no agreement has yet been reached, and a new meeting will be held.
“So far concrete figures have not been discussed, a summary was made of the products that could enter the list, in general the basic products, as they are also defined in the CAEN codes. It’s about meat, milk, eggs, vegetables-fruits, bakery, nothing special (…)We haven’t gotten very far yet, because this was, let’s say, an exploratory discussion, but it’s important that the decision will be made for all the operators in the economic chain, so it will not be limited only to traders or in the processing area”, said George Bădescu, the director of the Association of Large Retail Chains in Romania, upon leaving the discussions.
He also said that the solution that will be found will be implemented for a limited period.
According to him, at the next meeting, which will take place “quickly”, there will be “a concrete discussion” and “we will probably arrive at a list of products for which it could be considered to have certain solutions that produce this drop on the shelf of basic products”.
What the Government says after the meeting with retailers
After the meeting, the Government sent a statement in which it says that the discussions were focused on establishing a functional mechanism agreed between the Government and the private sector, to reduce the price of basic food products.
“I am glad that the business environment is open to agreeing, as a result of our dialogue, a viable, simple and clear mechanism which, together with government measures, will lead to the reduction of inflation and the increase of the purchasing power of Romanians. Our governance is first and foremost for the people, and the firmly assumed commitment is to reduce inflation to a single digit by the end of the year. I am convinced that we can achieve this in partnership with the business environment,” said Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu.
The Head of the Executive mentioned that during the next budget rectification, investments will be further supported.
“Also, the economic support measures will continue to be applied, as well as the support solutions from the energy sector. The representatives of the Association of the Large Commercial Networks in Romania in the Food Field appreciated the openness to dialogue and expressed their agreement in principle with the establishment of such a mechanism. The dialogue with the representatives of the Association of large commercial networks in the food sector will continue for the joint establishment of the agreed measures to reduce inflation and increase the purchasing power, as well as the method of application, with concrete details to be agreed by Thursday morning, more says the Government.
The consultations at the Victoria Palace were attended by the Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, the Deputy Prime Minister Marian Neacșu, the Minister of Agriculture, Florin Barbu, representatives of the Competition Council, ANAF, ANSVSA and ANPC.
Adrian Chesnoiu’s name is not mentioned by the Government.
Following the Government’s announcement, the PSD leader, Marcel Ciolacu, mentioned on Facebook the fact that “the measure targets several basic food categories, which must be found in the shopping basket of any Romanian: bread, milk and cheeses, meat, eggs, oil, flour and butter, vegetables and fresh fruit”.
Former PSD minister Adrian Chesnoiu, sent to court by the DNA for rigging an employment contest
In December 2022, the former PSD Minister of Agriculture Adrian Chesnoiu – current deputy – was sent to court by the DNA for abuse of office and instigation to allow an unauthorized person access to information that is not intended for publicity, being accused of rigging an employment competition in the ministry.
The prosecutors sent him to court for four crimes of instigation (in the form of improper participation) to allow unauthorized persons access to information that is not intended for publicity, in order to obtain undue benefits for another, and abuse of office.
The charges brought by the prosecutors:
“Between February 9 and April 11, 2022, Adrian Chesnoiu, as a minister, would have determined a subordinate, at that time, a member of several examination commissions, to provide Andrei Răducan (trusted person of to the minister) a part of the subjects designed for the written tests that were to be held on the occasion of the organization of four contests for the occupation of positions of: first class councilor, head of service, deputy executive director and executive director of some county departments.
The respective subjects would later have reached the “approved” candidates, namely Sandu Aurel, Corobea Mihai-Cosmin, Pârv Mihai and Lăscaie Cătălin Ionuț. After receiving the topics and passing the written test, Lăscaie would have been rejected at the interview test.
At the direct intervention of the minister in the case of the candidate Sandu Aurel, the members of the commission would have had to promote him, given that he had not obtained an appropriate score. As a result of this approach, the person in question was appointed to the position of head of service, obtaining, during the occupation of the position, salary income in the amount of 50,995 lei”.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development became a civil party with the mentioned amount, for the recovery of salary expenses for Sandu Aurel, while he held the position of head of service. In this case, the seizure of 50,995 lei was ordered in the case of Adrian Chesnoiu, DNA states.
The file was sent for trial to the High Court of Cassation and Justice.
The plenary session of the Chamber of Deputies approved, on June 28, 2022, the request of the DNA to lift the immunity of Adrian Chesnoiu.
Adrian, Chesnoiu had previously announced that he was resigning from the position of Minister of Agriculture and suspending himself from the PSD. He claimed that he had not committed any act of a criminal or corrupt nature and that he had “always carried out his executive activity with integrity and dedication”.
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