Popa (BNR): It is important to have a developed capital and banking market

Capital must flow not only from deposits into credits, but also from saving in private companies which create jobs and that is why it is important to have a developed capital and banling market, says Cristian Popa, a member of the Administration Board of the National Bank of Romania at the 12th edition of BVB Awards 2025, the annual ceremony awarding performances in the capital market in 2024.   He referred to the increase of the number of stock market investors, mentioning that in 2015 there were 60,000-70,000 investors and 202,000 in 2024. At the same time, Popa reminded that the increase of GDP/ capita seven times and of the number of highway kilometers have grown ten times in the last 20 years.   “There are figures that should be mentioned, especially in the context in which we operate now. Figures about the number of highway kilometers in Romania are undeniable: 113 km in 2003, 1074 in 2023, over 1,200 at present, an increase by ten times. GDP per capita was 2,400 euros 20 years ago, now it is 17,000 euros, that is an increase by 7 times. Direct foreign investments were 9.6 billion euros in 2003, 118 billion euros in 2023,”Popa said.   He pointed out that Romania has known an important development, sometimes forgotten. “It is a fantastic development we tend to forget sometimes. We simply forget where we forget where we started from and where we are now. The average Romanian lives 80% of the life span of an average European. We must say that being and EU member helped Romania a lot, as well as the money coming from EU, 66 billion euros. These high contributions helped develop Romania by building roads, bridges , hospitals and helped us get where we are. I think it is important to remind those figures, because sometimes we lose the perspective being preoccupied by the present and foregetting to consider achievements,” Popa pointed out.