THE SHEPHERDS AND THE GOVERNMENT BONDS Mişu Negriţoiu's voice hasn't even carried to the plains, much less the mountains

The fantastic ambition of ASF president Mişu Negriţoiu to make the government's bond issue known even to sheepherders in the mountains nevertheless didn't even help him reach the farmers selling their produce in the center of Bucharest.

"Both the banking syndicate that is in charge of this issue, as well as ourselves (ed. note: the ASF) will stimulate an advertising and promotional program, meaning that a sheepherder at the top of the mountain, who makes money and doesn't invest in their own development, can buy government bonds", said Mişu Negriţoiu confidently, two weeks ago, at the launch of the bonds issue at the BSE.

We have no idea what promotional and advertising program he was talking about, because in reality, the situation is far less rosy than his statements would lead us to believe.

Up until yesterday, only 26% of the government bonds had been subscribed, and that is as the subscription period ends tomorrow.

When asked by "BURSA" whether they have found out about the government bonds issue, farmers selling their goods in the Matache Market of Bucharest, who were the ones targeted by the president of the ASF had never heard about such a financial product before.

Their answers should come as a cold shower for Mişu Negriţoiu, who by the time the newspaper had gone to print, had not yet answered our question about the measures taken by the ASF to promote the bonds issue.

Mrs. Marina Maftei of the county of Alba, who was selling her cheese yesterday in the Matache market of Bucharest, told us that she had not heard about the program through which the Government is trying to raise 100 million RON from investors. There were fewer buyers than sellers in the dairy section.

After listening to information about the IPO, she concluded that "it is a kind of a pyramid scheme for fools". Mrs. Maftei had never heard of Mişu Negriţoiu.

In her opinion, the low number of buyers in the food market is a gauge of the bad state of the economy.

Mrs. Maftei told us that she is so busy that she doesn't even have the time to watch TV, so that she couldn't have heard about the issue of the Ministry of Finance.

And even if she did, that issue was not covered by the TV networks.

Mrs. Elena Dobre, from the Gostinari commune in the county of Giurgiu, who was selling vegetables in the same market, located near several office buildings in Bucharest, had not heard about the bonds issue and told us that "the government only wants to take money from people, while not doing anything to help farmers".

Mrs. Alexandra Stoica of Măgurele, Ilfov, who was selling potatoes, had not heard about that program either. "We struggle with our garden. How are we going to raise 10 million (100 RON, ed. note:)?", she told us, referring to the price of one bond.

A man from the Vidra commune, in the county of Vrancea, who was selling cherries and sour cherries, told us that he had not heard about the Government's program to attract investors and that he wouldn't be tempted by such an offer because he doesn't trust it. "The government isn't helping us in any way. I've been abroad and over there you would get subsidies and state aids, as a farmer", he said.

Individuals interested in the bonds issue have until June 19th to subscribe, and on June 22nd, the Ministry of Finance will set the interest rate that the subscriptions will be concluded at, depending on the demand. The interest rate would be situated between 1.75% and 2.15%.