In January – February 2013, the balance-of-payments current account posted a surplus of EUR 327 M as compared with a deficit of EUR 657 M in the first two months of 2012, National Bank of Romania announced in a press release. This is a result due to the decrease in trade balance and income deficits (by EUR 465 M and EUR 64 M respectively), to services going into surplus (EUR 152 M, from a deficit of EUR 116 M) and to the increase in current transfers surplus by EUR 187 M – primarily on account of general government net transfers. Non-residents’ direct investment in Romania totalled EUR 163 M (as compared with EUR 192 M in January-February 2012), of which intragroup loans amounted to EUR 94 M and equity stakes consolidated with the estimated net loss to EUR 69 M. Medium- and long-term external debt at end-February 2013 stood at EUR 80,754 M (80.5 per cent of total external debt), 2.6 per cent above the level recorded at end-2012. Short-term external debt at end-February 2013 totalled EUR 19,623 M (19.5 per cent of total external debt), down 3.1 per cent from end-2012. Medium- and long-term external debt service ratio ran at 34.5 per cent in the first two months of 2013, against 33.5 per cent in 2012. At end-February 2013, goods and services import cover stood at 8.4 months, as compared with 7.1 months at end-2012.
