Banks granted new credits of 195 billion lei to people and companies in 2020 and 2021, when the non governmental credit was 330 billion lei at the end of December, said Gabriela Folcut, CEO of the Romanian Association of Banks. “In 2020 and 2021 the volume of new credits granted by banks to people and companies was 195 billion lei, when the overall non governmental credit was 330 billion lei at the end of December. Practically, in 2021 alone, credits worth a third of the non governmental credit were granted,” said Gabriela Folcut at “Financial Forum 2022,” organized by The Diplomat. She said that the digitization activity did not start during the pandemic, but long before, but over 2020- 2021 there was a certain acceleration from the investment perspective, of about two billion lei for the first 15 banks in the market. “We, the Romanian Association of Banks, we studied this area and we found out that after the first year of pandemic 47% of consumers used online bank services and products. 19% used both online and offline services and 34% which is devoted to the physical interaction with the bank will remain devoted to the interaction with a bank officer,” Folcut said.
Romanian deep-tech startup .lumen, the developer of what it says are the world’s first AI-powered glasses for the blind, has secured a new investment from EIT Urban Mobility, the European innovation community focused on advancing sustainable and inclusive urban mobility solutions. The value of the new funding round was not disclosed. The investment aligns with […]
The health spending per capita in Romania was the lowest in the EU, with spending less than half the EU average in 2023, the recently released report, State of Health in the EU - Romania Country Health Profile 2025, shows. At the same time, life expectancy in Romania is 5.1 years below the EU average, […]
Romania’s annual inflation rate stood at roughly 9.8% in November 2025, similar to October, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). Food prices increased by 7.6% last month, while services rose roughly 11% and non-food goods climbed 10.7%. The consumer price index rose by 0.42% in November compared with October, while […]
Three French soldiers deployed in Romania as part of NATO’s Multinational Battle Group at Cincu intervened to save a truck driver following a serious traffic accident on the A3 Bucharest–Ploiești motorway, the Romanian Ministry of Defense said. The incident occurred earlier this week as the soldiers were traveling toward Ploiești and witnessed the truck crash...
Eight contemporary art galleries will present the works of the artists they represent at the third edition of the Smallest Art Fair in Town, an event dedicated to works on paper. This edition showcases works “investigating the state of wandering, disorientation, and rediscovery in the face of uncertainty.” Under the title In Dark Woods, A […]
Parents everywhere are asking an important question: What skills will truly prepare a child for a world defined by rapid change, global uncertainty, and the rise of artificial intelligence? For decades, schools focused entirely on academics. Today, research from neuroscience, performance psychology, and leading universities shows a different reality: The students who thrive long-term are […]
