George Banciulea

International borrowing is proof of responsibility, but the country's deficits are worrisome, the governor of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), Mugur Isarescu told a press conference, when asked about the latest loans contracted by the Ministry of Public Finance. "Worrisome, an element of concern or as you might want to call it, not of panic, however, are the country's deficits.

Industrial production prices (domestic and foreign market) increased 3.9 percent in December 2019 compared to the same month of 2018 and 0.3 percent against the previous month, according to the data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) on Tuesday.

Arrivals at Romania's tourist accommodation establishments January 1 - December 31, 2019 totalled 13.268 million people, up 3.6% from the same period of 2018, according to data with the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Romania closed 2019 with a budget deficit of 4.6 percent of GDP, above the authorities' November estimation, when the second budget adjustment was operated, Finance Minister Florin Citu announced on Tuesday. The only time with a wider budget gap was the crisis year of 2010, when the government ran a deficit of 6.5 percent of GDP. In 2018 the budget deficit was 2.88 percent of GDP.

EximBank has finalized the acquisition of Banca Romaneasca SA (BROM), with the submitted bid being part of the agreement concluded in June 2019 between EximBank and National Bank of Greece (NBG) on the purchase of the latter's 99.28 percent stake in BROM, the bank said in a release.

Romania has a one-off chance to shine this year, despite an economic slowdown compared to the previous years, says Johan Meyer, CEO of Franklin Templeton Investment Management Limited UK Bucharest Branch and Fondul Proprietatea co-Portfolio Manager. "30 years after the fall of the communist regime, Romania seems well anchored to the European values and on a clear path of economic development.

The annual inflation rate went up 4 percent in December 2019, from 3.8 percent in November, given that food prices increased by 5.08 percent and non-food prices by 3.31 percent, while the price of services registered an advance of 4.16 percent, according to data released on Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS). "In December 2019, consumer prices were 4.0 percent higher YoY.

Assets held by the optional pension system stood at 2.47-plus billion lei as of November 30, 2019, up 21.32 percent from the same period of the year before, shows data of the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF).

The workforce crisis, the rise of inflation, the prospects for the national currency's depreciation and the expansion of the financial gridlock are seen as the major challenges to the business environment in 2020, found the 9th "Barometer on the state of the economy" conducted by consulting company Frames and released on Friday.

The optional pension plans had assets worth over 2.43 billion lei, as of October 31, 2019, up 21.7% from the same period of 2018, according to the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF). Government securities held the highest share in the assets, of 1.373 billion lei, which is 56.4%. Second came stocks, at 600.509 million lei (24.67%).