Romania waives taxes against emigrating Jews

Romania has begun to waive the severe taxes ordered against would-be emigrants that aroused strong US reactions in early November, reports Monitor correspondent Eric Bourne.

According to the Jewish rabbinate in Bucharest, some 100 Romanian Jews have been issued passports in the last two weeks. They were told they could leave the country without payment of the taxes. The move is designed to repair damage caused by the tax decree to Romania's reputation and follows further strong hints from the United States that the taxes would put Romania's most-favored-nation tariffs in doubt in 1983.