The Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania) has celebrated on Thursday evening, along with more than 850 guests, the beginning of a new year.
The theme of the event – Unity through Community – aimed to show that only a strong community can create unity. This was mentioned also by the honorary guest of the evening, the Romanian President, Mister Klaus Iohannis, who pointed out in his speech that this theme fits perfectly with the requirements of a long-term approach, in favor of consolidating a strong business community, able to capitalize the opportunities of the future, because “sustainable performance doesn’t mean only short-term benefits, but also obtaining economic achievements by a constant and long-term manner”. But they can be achieved only in a predictable and stable environment. Therefore, attention must be oriented to the business environment “which has recently faced the most unnatural challenges in terms of the quality and predictability of the economic measures”. He also said that he wants a healthy economy, which benefits from a “responsible government and predictable policies, so that the today’s benefits will not be illusory tomorrow, or they will impose unjustified costs for the future generations”. The President assured the businessmen who were present at the event that he is informed on the concerns and difficulties which the business sector is facing, and in this respect, he will draw the Government’s attention on the responsibility of the political decision makers to ensure, above everything, Romania’s economic stability,” a press release issued by AHK informs.
The President of the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dragos Anastasiu, also spoke about the businessmen’s frustrations, the lack of predictability and of trust. The solutions should also be provided by the business environment. In this respect, AHK Romania has created, in its 15 years of existence, a strong community attempting to influence political decisions by a positive manner, but “everyone has to get involved, this is how we will create unity” Anastasiu stated.
The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, His Excellency Cord Meier-Klodt (photo), spoke about the opportunities and the challenges he met in his trips across the country, finding that a higher level of involvement is needed in the whole country, not only in the privileged regions. German companies have made a long-term commitment to this end in Romania, wishing to contribute to prosperity, offering future perspectives, trust-based partnerships and stable jobs. But of course, to achieve this goal, they need political decision-making transparency, a stable legal framework and predictability, especially in terms of fiscal policies. There are also other two important issues, and they can be solved especially since the German companies are providing their entire support: infrastructure and workforce. “Roads, railways, airports, on the one hand, and the liberalization of the labour market, professional education, on the other hand. It’s that simple, and it’s achievable. It’s just a matter of wishing and doing” the Ambassador stated.
About the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry
The Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania) is the official representative office of the German economy, and also the largest bilateral Chamber of Commerce in Romania. Along with the German Chambers of Commerce (IHK), AHK Romania belongs to the global network of the bilateral German Chambers of Commerce, joint under the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK).
The Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, established in 2002, includes more than 600 member companies and provides the companies with an important networking platform, and exchange of information and experience. By the provided services and the organized events, AHK Romania is actively supporting German companies since they enter the Romanian market, also being a partner of the Romanian companies who are interested in the German market. In Romania, AHK is actively involved in the implementation of the dual educational system, according to the German model, and it established the GreenTech econet Romania platform and a Standing Court of Arbitration.
President Iohannis: Future Gov’t mustn’t endanger fiscal sustainability; I’ll ask for consultations
President Klaus Iohannis on Thursday said that he will draw the attention of the future government not to endanger the fiscal sustainability through “imprudent policies and hazardous measures” and announced that he will have talks with the government in this respect and ask for consultations with those in charge in the area of economic policies.
“For 2018, is obvious that the attention must be placed on the business environment, which has been recently confronted with the most unnatural challenges in terms of the economic measures quality and predictability. I assure you I am updated on the concerns and difficulties that the business environment is facing. In this respect, I will draw the new government’s attention as well, same as I have done each time, on the responsibility of the political decision-makers to above all ensure Romania’s economic stability. The future government must understand how important it is not to endanger through imprudent policies and hazardous measures the fiscal sustainability and Romania’s long-term development potential. In this respect, I will discuss with the new government and ask for consultations with those in charge in the area of economic policies so that there are guarantees of stability from the government,” the head of state said at the reception organised at Parliament by the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He showed he wants a health economy, benefiting from a “responsible governance with predictable policies, so that today’s benefits don’t become illusory tomorrow or impose undeserved costs for the future generations.”
“I hope that, through good-faith, transparency and open dialogue with the political decision makers, the business environment will manage to support its priorities and consolidate its achievements,” Iohannis said.
President Iohannis pointed out that in 2017 Romania’s economy registered a record growth rate in the European Union, however these figures, unfortunately, don’t reflect the quality of the economic policies, the progress of the business environment being rather obtained in spite of these policies.
“The macroeconomic picture doesn’t lack risks in an economic and financial area, risks which mean additional responsibilities for the decision-makers in 2018,” the head of state said.
He gave as example the fact that the budget situation in 2017 shows that the descending trend continues in the area of public investment, through the diminution of the share in the GDP of the capital expenses compared to the previous years and highlights that it is not enough for the budget to provide “only on paper investment allocations, but the investments must be made, in order not to neglect key-areas, such as infrastructure.”
“At the same time, in spite of a record economic growth in the European Union, the government, or to put it better, the successive governments encountered difficulties in ensuring the fiscal-budget framework that should observe the 3 percent of the GDP deficit target. In the context of some imprudent fiscal policies, the government had to adopt ad-hoc measures, namely to reintroduce the additional fuel excise, take over enhanced dividends from the state-owned companies or block some payments of the credit release authorities at the end of the year. If all these are added the fiscal rollercoaster, on the grounds of some modifications of the Fiscal Code, challenged by almost everyone, there results the lack of any concern from the governors to ensure the economic predictability which the business environment rightfully invokes all the time,” Iohannis said.
On the other hand, the head of state said that Germany is currently Romania’s first economic partner.
