In Romania, 10,000 dollars tax per sold child

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In Romania, 10,000 dollars tax per sold child
Publication date: 11/02/1999

A review of the Agency France Presse

Romania, where about 20,000 children were adopted abroad since the fall of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, is determined to make order and to simplify procedures for adoption compromise because of business corruption. What chances are, but to succeed in conditions in which corruption was stuck deep in the state?
"Reform in this area has progressed rapidly and the new system set up by authorities established rigorous criteria, which eliminate many cases of giving bribes and reduce the bureaucratic obstacles," said Bogdan Ivanescu, president of the association "Copii Fericiti," one of the non-governmental organizations novels that deal with adoptions. In his opinion Ivanescu ratification by Romania of the Hague Convention on the protection of children and entry into force in September, the new law on adoptions have allowed the harmonization of Romanian legislation with that of countries in Western Europe. The new law steps in order to simplify the adoption, strengthen, also, for control of the Roman Adoptions (CRA, government body) to end illegal adoptions. Changing the law allowed, also of Romania to eliminate the intermediaries, in most cases lawyers, that adoptions have become a veritable gold mine.
In 1998, were adopted by the 3684 children, who in 2592 abroad. "Since 1997, was no longer possible to be removed from the country a child without CRA, thanks to a very strinse cooperation with consulates, said the secretary general of that body, Bogdan Lehel. "The new system is transparent and profitable for the state, which collect, thanks to these adoptions, funds intended for the protection of children, consider Bogdan Ivanescu. This system authorizes NGOs to charge a fee for adoption, which can reach 10,000 dollars, some being paid to the state budget. "In 1998 I made the donations worth 150,000 dollars to protect children. This year we hope to double that amount," he added Ivanescu.
President of the organization "Solidarity children roumains abandonnés (SERA)" (Solidarity with Abandoned Romanian children), Francois de Combret, says that "the real scourge of Romania is the abandonment of children, a phenomenon that even a better functioning of adoptions can not eradicate it ". "At the pediatric hospital in Brisbane saloon abandoned children is deep in darkness. There, in this miserable place, there are 20 children who share beds with seven lattice", tells Combret. "Child care in most of the orphanages are unacceptable: it spreads and causes slow growth. Once employees in the orphanages, children have few chances to get out of there," noted François Combret with sorrow.

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In Romania, 10.000 de dolari taxa pe copilul vindut
Data publicarii: 11/02/1999
Un comentariu al agentiei France Presse
Romania, de unde circa 20.000 de copii au fost adoptati in strainatate de la caderea dictatorului Nicolae Ceausescu, este hotarita sa faca ordine si sa simplifice procedurile de adoptie, compromise din cauza unor afaceri de coruptie. Ce sanse are, insa, sa reuseasca, in conditiile in care coruptia s-a infipt adinc in structurile statului?
"Reforma in acest domeniu a avansat rapid si noul sistem instituit de autoritati stabileste criterii riguroase, care elimina numeroasele cazuri de dare de mita si reduc obstacolele birocratice", a declarat Bogdan Ivanescu, presedintele asociatiei "Copiii fericiti", una dintre organizatiile non-guvernamentale romane care se ocupa de adoptii. In opinia lui Ivanescu, ratificarea de catre Romania a Conventiei de la Haga cu privire la protectia copiilor, precum si intrarea in vigoare, in septembrie, a noii legi referitoare la adoptii au permis armonizarea legislatiei Romaniei cu cea a tarilor din Europa de Vest. Noua lege simplifica demersurile in vederea adoptiei, intarind, totodata, controlul Comitetului Roman pentru Adoptii (CRA, organism guvernamental), pentru a pune capat adoptiilor ilegale. Modificarea legii a permis, de asemenea, Romaniei sa elimine intermediarii, in cele mai multe cazuri avocati, pentru care adoptiile au devenit o adevarata mina de aur.
In 1998, au fost adoptati 3.684 de copii, intre care 2.592 in strainatate. "Din 1997, nu a mai fost posibil sa fie scos din tara un copil fara acordul CRA", gratie unei cooperari foarte strinse cu consulatele, afirma secretarul general al acestui organism, Bogdan Lehel. "Noul sistem este transparent si profitabil pentru stat, care obtine, gratie acestor adoptii, fonduri destinate protectiei copiilor", considera Bogdan Ivanescu. Acest sistem autorizeaza ONG-urile sa perceapa o taxa de adoptie, care poate ajunge la 10.000 de dolari, o parte fiind varsata la bugetul statului. "In 1998 am facut donatii statului in valoare de 150.000 de dolari pentru protejarea copiilor. In acest an speram sa dublam aceasta suma", a adaugat Ivanescu.
Presedintele organizatiei "Solidarité enfants roumains abandonnés (SERA)" (Solidaritatea cu copiii romani abandonati), François de Combret, spune ca "adevaratul flagel din Romania este abandonarea copiilor, fenomen pe care chiar si o mai buna functionare a adoptiilor nu-l poate eradica". "La spitalul pediatric din Botosani, salonul copiilor abandonati este cufundat in obscuritate. Acolo, in acest loc mizerabil, sint 20 de copii care impart sapte paturi cu zabrele", povesteste Combret. "Ingrijirile acordate copiilor in cea mai mare parte a orfelinatelor sint inacceptabile: ele provoaca handicapuri si incetinesc cresterea. Odata angajati in sistemul orfelinatelor, copiii au putine sanse de a iesi de acolo", constata François Combret cu amaraciune.