The generals enjoying official positions in the SIE (foreign Intelligence Service) earn twice as much as the President of Romania. Silviu Predoiu and Vasilica Sarca, the two generals who ruled over the SIE until Mihai Razvan Ungureanu was appointed a chief, have just released their statements on personal properties. They don't own many cars and houses, but in terms of earnings they top the list of state institutions' employees. Silviu Predoiu earned 1,4 billion ROL (about 3,300 Euro a month) in 2007. If we compare it to President Basescu's wages, since he claims that last year he earned about 670 million ROL (about 1,600 Euro a month), we can conclude it is more advantageous to work for the SIE than to be a President of Romania. Silviu Predoiu also owns an expensive piece of land in the village of Izvoarele, the district of Dambovita, one flat in Bucharest and one Opel Astra. And he has got neither bank accounts nor debts. General Vasilica Sarca, the other deputy of the SIE chief, earned almost as much as his colleague last year. And he has also got 30,000 RON in bank accounts, as well as a 6,000 Euro debt at the same bank. He probably contracted it to buy a VW Golf in the very first days of 2008. (D.D.)