RSS
The commercial adviser of the Austrian Embassy:we want an open dialogue with the state
The issues connected to transparency, stability and predictability are among the difficulties encountered by the Austrian companies which activate in Romania, as the country has favourable work costs and an educated workforce and the companies with Austrian capital want a more open dialogue with the representatives of the state, according to an interview offered to News.ro by the commercial adviser of the Austrian Embassy in Bucharest, Gerd Bommer.
In Romania there are over 3,400 companies with Austrian capital with over 100,000 employees. The total value of investments in the Romanian economy is almost 8.4 billion euro, almost 12.6% of the total of foreign direct investments,according to Bommer. Asked in connection with the issues encountered by the companies with Austrian capital, Bommer said ‘ transparency, stability, predictability’ but he also said that it is a market favourable to investments.
‘Romania is a very favourable market for investments, as the economy grows, in terms of market, in different sectors – industry, consumption and others. Moreover, Romania has favourable costs with the work and educated workforce, qualified, available for many years, in big numbers, which led to the increase of exports’ the adviser said. In these conditions, the companies with Austrian capital, they do not come to produce for the local market, but for export as well.
At the same time, the adviser said there is a need for a dialogue with the state authorities, especially in the last two years and a half. He also said that the government tried to build some channels of communication with the investors, discussions which could present solutions for many issues, but they did not use them sufficiently’ .’That is the way we do it in Austria-the companies discuss regularly with the authorities not to get advantages for themselves only, but to make sure that the changes can be implemented’ said the adviser. The economy of Romania had an accelerated growth over the last years, more remarkable as the population of the country dropped, according to Bommer’. The situation is relatively good, although supported by consumption.
The potential of a recession comes more or less from the area of industry, as well as from a possible incapacity of the state to increase the income of the population at the level of the last years or at least, to ensure a rapid growth’ the adviser said.This situation could lead to a drop in consumption, which would create a difficult situation for the economy, warned Bommer. He considers, similarly, that investments in infrastructure, chapter where Romania has many issues, would slow down the impact of a possible recession. In Romania, there are two of the biggest investments made by Austria abroad.BCR owned 100% by the group Erste and Petrom, controlled by OMV. This year, the investments in the sector of constructions and construction materials have a better dynamics, companies with Austrial capital such as Leier, Wienerberger and SW Umwelttechnik being very active.