Foreign investors keep a cautious positive eye on Romania

Result of operations and business outlook

The number of respondents seeing revenue growth remains close to 60 percent compared to March 2015 of 62 percent, pointing towards a stable and positive sentiment. However the number of respondents that felt a significant growth have gone down from 14.28 percent to 7.4 percent compared to an increase from 48.5 percent to 51.9 percent of respondents who expect a moderate revenue growth. Another positive aspect noted is that none of the FIC members that responded expect a significant contraction, but FIC members expecting somewhat contraction grew from 2.86 percent to 7.4 percent, indicating sector specific challenges.

From a market growth perspective a significant change is noted in the composition of domestic and export market. The overall domestic market growth expectation has gone down from 58 percent to 53 percent, whereas from export market growth perspective, growth expectations have gone down from 45.8 percent to 40 percent. Similarly, the overall growth perspective including results expectations have gone down between March 2015 and September 2015 from 68.5 percent to 53.2 percent with an increased number of respondents feeling that overall business will remain substantially the same. The overall number of FIC members responding that it will remain the same, have gone up from 20.69 percent to 38.3 percent.

 Capital investments and workforce plan

The overall outlook for capital investments remain substantially the same from March 2015 to September 2015. However, there is a marked increase in respondents noting the higher level of attractiveness of Romania compared to their group peer locations. 44.4 percent of FIC members that responded noted improved attractiveness in September 2015 compared to 28 percent in March 2015, indicating the potential Romania has to offer.

From availability of workforce perspective, 58.5 percent respondents note availability of competitive workforce while 22.6 percent note availability of highly competitive workforce, making it an overall 80 percent respondents acknowledging good workforce availability.

Legislative environment and administrative burden

The fiscal, legislative and administrative capacity issue is still one of the biggest challenges. Given the relative economic potential, there is still a large number of FIC member businesses that are concerned with the legislative and administrative burden and consider it be one of the key hurdles in achieving the potential. An overwhelming number of respondents feel that the lack of competitive bureaucracy and transparency is limiting the achievement in business. 85 percent of the respondents feel bureaucracy to uncompetitive and 80 percent of the respondents feel there is a lack of transparency in legislative developments and initiatives. 65 percent of the respondents said the regulatory burden is uncompetitive. A similar sentiment is voiced in the availability of good infrastructure whereby 67.9 percent voiced their concern on the lack of competitive infrastructure with 26.4 percent feeling it to be very inadequate and 41.5 percent noting it as moderately uncompetitive.

The Foreign Investors Council (FIC) represents a significant business segment in respect of investments in Romania and its members account for approximately two thirds of all total foreign investments in Romania with a significant contribution to the country’s GDP. It has 118 member companies whose cumulated investments in Romania represent approximately EUR 35 billion, about two thirds of the total foreign direct investments made since 1990.

In their effort to provide further input FIC developed its business sentiment index to bring its members assessment of their expectations of results of operations and growth expectations, capital investment outlook for the coming year, attractiveness of Romania compared to other similar geographic locations of their respective group companies, workforce plans and administrative, legislative and fiscal environment when conducting their businesses.

The questions in the business index refer to the sentiment and expectations for the following 12 months. (Source business-review.eu)