Romanian statistics

Romania keeps losing from its attractiveness: FDI and country brand in continuous fall

Romania, placed 81 put of 102 countries in terms of national branding

According to Country Brand Index Report Romania is under developed in terms of national brand; country’s profile is not distinct to other nationalities. This Report quantifies a country’s image according to 29 criteria, from history to business environment and economic situation.

Source: Country Brand Index

The country that ranks first in this year’s report is the USA followed by Canada, Australia, New Zeeland and France.

FDI – only 50% of the value recorded in 2008

Foreign Direct Investments in the first 9 months of this year dropped to 3.5 billion Euros, which represents 50% of the investment attracted in the previous year, according to National Bank of Romania.

Source: National Bank of Romania

5 reasons to be optimistic in the construction market

1. The total number of construction projects in the IBC Focus database increased in Q1 2009 as compared to the last quarter of 2008 by 24%. Have a look at the growth rates recorded by each construction segment:

             

2.   According to the IBC Focus database, the  investments realized in the projects under construction in the first quarter of the “crisis” year exceeded 2.6 billion Euros, the industrial segment being the most valuable at the moment:

3.      3.  In the same period, IBC Focus offered contact information to 646 active construction sites in Romania.

4.       4. Some of the biggest commercial banks in the country have already announced that in the next 3 months they will start relaxing loan conditions in order to enhance lending to the population. Reducing the interest rates that are practiced at present depends largely on the National Central Bank’s decision to reduce the key interest rate (of 10%) in the session that will take place on the 6^th of May.  Financial analysts forecast that this key interest will be reduced at least 0.25% at that date.

5.      5.  In April 2009 the economic sentiment in Romania, as well as in the EU rebounded after a down confidence degree in March, with 1.2 points. Out of the 5 indices that form this indicator construction rose by 4 points, consumer by 2 points and retail-trade by 10 points, while services and industry decreased by 3 points each. 

Source: Eurostat, banks, IBC Focus

Record level of foreign investment in 2008

During January – October 2008 the foreign direct investment (FDI) climbed to 8.15 billion Euros, 37.4% more that the same period of 2007. The high FDI volume recorded in October was due to the financial support local subsidiaries received from their mother companies, as Romania is still considered to be a profitable country for their business.

Source: Business Standard