This year, the state will spend 1.07 – 1.2 billion euro to pay pensions for over 170,000 pensioners paid by the Defense, Interior ministries and for those who were part of the secret services, one newspaper reads on Monday. Elsewhere in the news, find out how Romania lost investments worth 10 billion euro in energy. Last but not least, Bucharest is one of the cheapest European city capitals for tourists.

Gandul reads on Monday about the 1.07 – 1.2 billion euro which the state has to pay for pensions of about 170,000 – 180,000 retired paid by the Defense and Interior ministry, including pensions for those who worked in the secret services, governmental sources declared for the newspaper.

In 2007, the total number was 140,000. The Defense and Interior ministry released the number of retired people in their sector: 80,000 for Defense, 66,000 for the Interior ministry and 8,000 at the Romanian Intelligence Services. However, the other secret services do not mention the number of retired people or the budgets.

The newspaper reads that the average pension offered for these pensioners is up to 514 euro/month. In the state system, the average pension is 2.4 lower to below 180 euro/month. Therefore, the 180,000 pensioners cash in a year what 434,000 state pensions earn from the state’s budget.

Regarding pensions of the military, the ministry data reveals that a general can earn up to 9,484 lei when he is retired, which is a little over 2,200 euro.

Elsewhere in the news, Evenimentul Zilei reads that projects in partnership with the Romanian state, announced up to 2008 were suspended or even cancelled. Risks on the local market are too big, even if they ignore the crisis, investors claim. In 2007- 2008, Romania was assaulted by energy investors which would have brought to the country over 10 billion euro in investments.

However, almost none of these projects are still an option. Projects were either cancelled, or forgotten the newspaper reads. Recently, the 4 billion euro investments for the building of reactors 3 and 4 at Cernavoda nuclear plant seem compromised as three main investors announced they withdraw from the project.

The newspaper attempts an explanation of the pitfall of investments in the energy sector and reads that one of the causes was the crisis. However, despite the crisis, investors also claim that risks of the local market are too high.

Romania libera reads that a foreign tourist can visit Bucharest with the equivalent of 28.3 dollars/day and the only cheaper destinations are Sofia, Bulgaria and Krakow, Poland a study reads, quoted by Mediafax. According to the survey, a foreign tourist can spend 28,3 dollars in Bucharest/ day including accommodation in a cheap hostel and meals.

According to the survey the most welcoming city in Europe is Sofia, where a tourist can spend 20,75 dollars/day. On the other hand, in Zurich a day costs at least 111,5 dollars/day. The sums are estimated based on cheapest services and products in each city analyzed.