The World Bank Group Board of Executive Directors today approved a Development Policy Loan (DPL) for Romania in the amount of EUR 599.1 million with a dual focus on economic and environmental sustainability, the World Bank reported on Thursday.The Romania Fiscal Management and Green Growth DPL is said to enable reforms to strengthen the country's fiscal framework, foster green and inclusive growth, and stimulate private-sector investment."Through this loan, the World Bank supports Romania's fiscal consolidation, strengthens fiscal sustainability, and increases equity of the pensions system; introduces incentives to support the decarbonization of the transport sector, where greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise; and supports the issuance of the first green bond in Romania to boost public investment," the bank says in a press statement released on Thursday.The loan also helps lay the foundations for increased private-sector participation in renewable energy and energy efficiency by introducing novel financing for green investments, measures to boost offshore wind, green hydrogen, and other renewable energy capacity, and by strengthening public-private partnership legislation. Such steps are essential for Romania to meet its commitments under the European Green Deal and achieve climate mitigation goals, particularly given the country's high vulnerability to the risks of climate change."The World Bank Group remains a steadfast partner in Romania's journey toward a more equitable and sustainable economy. This new funding reflects our confidence in Romania's capacity to integrate inclusive growth with environmental stewardship. The operation supports a package of reforms designed to create a lasting impact that boosts inclusion in Romania and contributes to global efforts to combat climate change," Anna Akhalkatsi, World Bank country director for the European Union, is quoted as saying in the statement.
Romanian retail chain La Cocoş recorded a turnover of RON 1.18 billion (EUR 237 million) in 2024, marking a 20.7% y/y increase and becoming the first domestically owned retailer to exceed the RON 1 billion benchmark, according to Ziarul Financiar. Founded in 2014 by entrepreneur Iulian Nica, La Cocoş...
Even though Romania's currency, RON (leu), has depreciated relatively steeply in the past weeks, compared to historic low volatility, ING Romania maintains its exchange rate forecast for this year and argues that the national currency could recover from recent losses. "However, it is important to look at the bigger picture: financial markets can often have […]
Romania's industrial production index contracted by 4.2% y/y in Q1 and neared the lowest level in the past three years, according to the statistics office INS. The seasonal and workday-adjusted index (-0.4% q/q) has followed a visible downward trend after the post-Covid recovery in 2021 and 2022. The seasonal and workday-adjusted index in Q1 was […]
The net foreign direct investments to Romania contracted by 29% y/y to EUR 4.87 billion in 12 months to March 2025, after a 33% y/y contraction (to EUR 1.67 billion) in Q1, according to data published by the National Bank of Romania (BNR). The net foreign direct investments accounted for only 1.4% of the GDP […]
Romania’s current account (CA) deficit rose by 50% to EUR 33.0 billion in 12 months to March 2025, after a sharp 82% y/y surge (to EUR 7.7 billion) in Q1, according to data published by the National Bank of Romania (BNR). The CA gap reached 9.3% of GDP (based on the latest available 4-quarter GDP […]
Romania's general government budget deficit hit 2.94% of GDP in January-April (RON 56.2 billion, or EUR 11 billion), up from 2.3% of GDP in Q1, according to Ziarul Financiar and
