The new system, which will bring the country more in line with the West, will create a global approach to taxation with tax levels being linked to total income. On Thursday, streets in many Romanian cities were blocked by student marches. In Bucharest, at least 5000 students gathered in University Square to protest the conditions on campuses which have not been improved over the past ten years. Luis Lazarus, of the students association, stated their demands which include grants of USD16 per month and hostel subsidies of USD 8 a month. The authorities rejected the students' demands prompting the students to call for an indefinite strike across the country.
Students often have to offer bribes to secure a bed in a hall of residence.
A devastating report from Transparency International concluded this week that Romania is the 33rd most corrupt nation out of the 99 countries included in a survey. The survey was based on the perceptions that both foreign investors and the general public held over the level of corruption in a country. On Tuesday, an International Arms Fair was opened in Bucharest by Defence Minister Victor Babiuc. 67 Romanian companies who manufacture and export military products, along with 40 companies from the rest of the world, participated in the fair. The organiser of the fair, Marius Batlan, said that Romanian companies offer very competitive prices for equipment of a high quality.