Emil Costinescu

Emil Costinescu (; March 12, 1844–July 6, 1921) was a Romanian economist, businessman and politician.

Born in Iași, Costinescu was the self-taught son of the architect and engineer , professor at the Academia Mihăileană and later the director of the School of Bridges and Roads, Mines and Architecture in Bucharest. He was influenced by the reformist ideals of the time in which he was growing up, as expounded by figures such as C. A. Rosetti, Cezar Bolliac and Mihail Kogălniceanu. In 1862, he was hired as proofreader at Rosetti's Românul. He advanced to editor in 1866 and led the newspaper during the founder's exile. he was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1876, He opened a sawmill in Sinaia, and sat on the board of a petroleum company. An economic protectionist, he supported a customs tariff in the belief that it would spur the development of domestic industry. Introduced in 1904, this measure lasted until 1924. Also, as early as 1887, he spoke in favor of an income tax. In late 1909, he introduced a bill in parliament that would have established such a tax; the proposal failed. Costinescu remained in the wartime government as Minister without portfolio from December 1916 to July 1917.