In its Regional Economic Prospects report of May 2022 released on Tuesday, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says that after a rebound of 5.9% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2021, the rate of the Romanian economy's growth will slow down significantly in 2022.Romania's economy is projected to grow by 2.5% this year, as against 2.8% forecast in March 2022, and 3% next year, as against an initial forecast of 4.1%.According to the EBRD, the Romanian economy entered 2022 on a weak footing as GDP declined in the last quarter of 2021 by 0.1% quarter-on-quarter due to a fall in investment and slowing inventory build-up."Accelerating inflation from the second half of 2021 has already put pressure on consumers and firms. While real net wages have temporarily recovered in early 2022 and the removal of Covid-19 restrictions has improved confidence, the war on Ukraine has brought an additional layer of inflationary and supply chain difficulties," according to the EBRD report.Consumer prices increased by 10.2 per cent, year-on-year, in March 2022, despite a cap on energy prices, which is set to remain until March 2023. The government has adopted a range of measures to support vulnerable households and firms affected by the war. As such, the fiscal consolidation envisaged for this year could be constrained by these expenses and by weaker economic growth, warns the international financial institution.The National Bank of Romania (BNR) has raised the policy rate to 3% by April 2022 and, facing a tightening of liquidity since the start of the war, has intervened in the secondary market for sovereign debt to calm debt markets.GDP is projected to grow by 2.5% this year, with risks tilted to the downside and contingent on the evolution of the war and other supply pressures. In 2023, lingering inflation pressures, fading pent-up demand and supply chain issues are expected to restrain growth to a forecast 3%, the EBRD report says.
Romanian prime minister Ilie Bolojan stated during an interview on Wednesday, December 17, that there should be no statute of limitations in cases of serious corruption. The statement comes after a Recorder investigation, which showed that several heads of the major institutions in the Romanian justice system allegedly delayed trials for years until wrongdoings were […]
President Nicușor Dan has challenged, before the Constitutional Court (CCR), the constitutionality of the law that requires that at least 40% of the athletes who play on a team in official national competitions be Romanian. Dan noted that the law violates the principle of non-discrimination and the free movement of workers, enshrined both in the […]
Craiova International Airport will open its new passenger terminal on Thursday, December 18, completing a major infrastructure investment aimed at significantly expanding capacity and improving air connectivity in southwestern Romania. It is part of a broader expansion and modernization project financed through the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme (POIM) 2014–2020, with a total value exceeding EUR […]
Romania is set to be connected to the Western European energy network thanks to grid investments worth EUR 30 billion. The funds will be provided by the EU by 2035, and the project will link Romania to Hungary and Austria in a joint project. Romanian energy minister Bogdan Ivan signaled the signing of the new […]
Franck Bagouet has been appointed managing director of TotalEnergies Marketing Romania SA and managing director of Automotive Southeast Europe Hub TotalEnergies Marketing. He succeeds Didier Grimault, who has accepted a new position within the TotalEnergies company. “I am glad to join this dynamic affiliate and confident that, together with our talented team, we will reinforce […]
Databricks, the data analytics and artificial intelligence company co-founded by Romanian professors Ion Stoica and Matei Zaharia, announced on Tuesday, December 16, that it is raising USD 4 billion in funding at a valuation of USD 134 billion, according to CNBC. The new valuation represents a 34% increase compared to the August round, when Databricks […]
