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Financial & Banking
Opening speech at the conference 15th Anniversary of the 2004 EU Enlargement: Looking back, looking forward
Monday, April 15, 2019
Mugur Isarescu, Romanian Central Bank Governor Governor Nowotny,Distinguished audience,Ladies and gentlemen, I am greatly honoured by the invitation to address this audience at a time when we celebrate the 15th anniversary of the first wave of EU enlargement. This event gives me yet another opportunity to say a few words about Romania, a country that I know very ...
Current account deficit, up over 33pct two months into 2019
Monday, April 15, 2019
The current account deficit of the balance of payments grew by 33.6pct in the first two months of this year, to 568 million euro, compared to the same period last year, of 425 million euro. According to a release of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), the balance of goods recorded a deficit of 671 million euro, the balance of services recorded a surplus higher by 122 million euro, the balance of primary revenues registered a surplus of 94 million euro, ...
IMF revises Romania’s 2019 economic growth forecast down to 3.1 percent
Monday, April 15, 2019
The International Monetary Fund revised downwards its forecast for the growth of Romania’s economy this year, to 3.1 percent, from the previous 3.4 percent estimated in its World Economic Outlook report in October 2018. For 2020, the growth is estimated to reach 3 percent. The Fund also expects Romania to have a higher inflation and current account deficit. The moderate growth is seen as the result of lower stimuli provided through EU funds for ...
ARB: The “new ROBOR” may be higher than the previous version
Monday, April 15, 2019
Florin Danescu, the Executive President of the Romanian Banks’ Association (ARB), spoke about OUG 114 and its effects on banks during the Tax & Law Conference hosted by Business Review. Danescu wanted to highlight the events of the past few years that came before the passing of OUG 114, and the fact that banks were blamed for many of the economic issues Romania has faced in the past decade. „In 2011, when ...
Immofinanz reaches Romanian properties of EUR 768.5 million
Monday, April 15, 2019
IMMOFINANZ properties in Romania have an accounting value of EUR 768.5 million and represent 17.7 percent of the company’s total portfolio, according to data for the financial year 2018. The investment portfolio of EUR 635.7 million is divided into 9 office buildings (14.2 percent of the total office portfolio) and 6 retail properties (21.5 percent of the total retail portfolio). In 2018, the employment rate remained at a high level of 94.4 ...
Alpha Bank Romania launches EUR 1 bln mortgage bonds
Monday, April 15, 2019
Greek-owned Alpha Bank Romania is the first local bank to issue a mortgage bond with a target volume of EUR 1 billion. The lender intends to raise EUR 200 million under the first tranche of the issue, to be launched soon. The bank plans to list the bonds on both the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and the Bucharest Stock Exchange. "We are pleased to announce the launch of the first mortgage bond program in Romania after we launched ...
Study: Most Romanians think debt is a problem that needs solving as soon as possible
Monday, April 15, 2019
Over 70 percent of Romanians think debt is a problem that needs to be solved as quickly as possible, while 15 percent think it is a minor problem for which a solution will be found, according to a study analyzing the attitude towards money and the financial behavior of the Romanian consumer. In terms of ...
Omniasig’s 2018 gross profit was RON 40.5 million
Monday, April 15, 2019
Omniasig Vienna Insurance Group recorded an increase of 11 percent of the subscribed premiums at the end of 2018, in line with steady increases over the year. The total volume of gross premiums written was RON 1.172 billion. In the same period, the company recorded a 4 percent increase in the total amount of compensation paid. The Property Insurance segment recorded a 6 percent increase in premiums written compared to the previous year, reaching almost ...
Fitch has revised the rating outlook for BCR and BRD, following the amendment to Ordinance 114/2018
Monday, April 8, 2019
Fitch Ratings has on Wednesday affirmed the Long-Term IDRs of Banca Comerciala Romana S.A. (BCR) and BRD-Groupe Societe Generale S.A. (BRD) at ‘BBB+’ and revised their Outlooks to Stable from Negative. Fitch has also affirmed the Viability Ratings (VRs) of BCR and Banca Transilvania S.A. (BT) at ‘bb+’, of UniCredit Bank S.A. (UCBRO) at ‘bb’, of Garanti Bank S.A. (GBR) at ‘bb-‘, of ProCredit Bank S.A. (PCBRO) at ‘b+’, ...
EY : Tax on financial assets, significantly reduced, less dramatic impact on banking system
Monday, April 8, 2019
The tax on the banks' financial assets has been significantly reduced, having a less dramatic impact on the banking system following Friday's amendment of Ordinance 114, according to Partner and Leader of Tax and Legal practice of EY Romania Alex Milcev.As a matter of fact, according to Milcev, the most radical changes aim the tax on the financial assets of credit institutions, which was almost completely rethought following the bill amending Ordinance 114 adopted ...
Speech by Vice-President Dombrovskis at the Eurofi High-level Seminar 2019 - Bucharest, Romania
Monday, April 8, 2019
Bucharest, 4 April 2019 Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a pleasure to be here in Bucharest – thank you to Eurofi for inviting me once again. Or as they say in Romanian: Multumesc! I also want to say multumesc to Romania for their skilful Presidency of the EU Council since the beginning of the year. In its first 12 weeks, the Romanian presidency closed an impressive 60 legislative files and reached ...
FinMin Teodorovici: Romania has a well-established plan in regards to switching to euro; goal to be achieved in 2024
Monday, April 8, 2019
Romania has a very well-established plan in terms of switching to euro currency and the goal clearly remains the year 2024, Public Finance Minister Eugen Teodorovici stated on Friday in the preamble of the Eurogroup meeting and the informal meeting of finance ministers (the Economic and Financial Affairs Committee - ECOFIN) organised in Bucharest, between 5 and 6 April."Romania has set out a clear objective [to switch to euro currency] the year 2024. Even if ...
WB:As Growth Slows in Europe and Central Asia, Financial Inclusion Can Play Key Role Addressing Long-Term Challenges
Monday, April 8, 2019
Economic growth in the Europe and Central Asia region slowed to 3.1% in 2018, and is projected to decline to 2.1% in 2019, amid slowing global growth and uncertain prospects, according to the World Bank’s Economic Update for Europe and Central ...
CEG: 1.7 billion euro could be injected in Romanian economy if fiscal and legislative predictability existed
Monday, April 8, 2019
About 1.7 billion euro could represent the profit of companies with foreign capital in 2018 which may be injected in economy in 2019, but the decision depends on the fiscal and legislative predictability, according to Oana Motoi, Managing Partner, Cromwell Evan Global (CEG). The financial consultant quotes statistic information published by the National Bank of Romania in the report on direct foreign investments in Romania for 2017, according to which, ...
Libra Bank launches its first version of Open Banking for business using KEEZ concept
Monday, April 8, 2019
Libra Internet Bank has launched its first version of internet banking that addresses accounting firms that use the bank’s platform to automatically take over the balances and transactions history of its customers (other companies that prior to granting these access rights to the accounting firm). “We are already recognized as one of the most innovative banks in Romania and we continue to develop online ...
Government passes changes to OUG 114
Monday, April 1, 2019
PM Viorica Dancila said at the beginning of Friday’s government meeting that changes to OUG 114 would be passed today though a new emergency ordinance, containing updates to several of the most controversial provisions of OUG 114, mostly related to banking, energy and private pensions. In December 2018, the Romanian government introduced new fiscal regulation and taxes for banking, telecom, energy and the private pensions sector through OUG 114, ...
FinMin Teodorovici: no opinion received from ECB on GEO 114
Monday, April 1, 2019
The Finance minister, Eugen Teodorovici, stated that the amendments to OUG 114 had the approval of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), while the European Central Bank had been “informed” of this issue. “There is agreement on the entire set of proposals, we have the endorsment from the BNR, and there has been consultation with all the players in the market, including the Romanian Banking Association. The European Central Bank was ...
BNR : Bank loans cannot become cheaper by government decree
Monday, April 1, 2019
Bank loans in Romania cannot become cheaper by government emergency decree, according to a central bank official. Adrian Vasilescu, an adviser of the central bank governor Mugur Isarescu, has commented a proposed emergency decree of the government aiming to correct some measures imposed through the controversial emergency decree (OUG) 114/2018. “What I can tell you is that I can not believe that an emergency ordinance can ...
Government delays measures that risked blowing away the EUR 10 bln private pensions market to end-2019
Monday, April 1, 2019
The seven private pensions fund managers in Romania have won an extra 6-month period to stay in business as the government prepares to delay a key-measure imposed by the controversial emergency decree (OUG) 114/2018. According to OUG 114/2018, the seven Pillar II private pensions managers in Romania have to increase their total capital by RON 1.6 billion until the end of June and by RON 3.55 billion until the end of the year, a very high amount for a ...
Aug 25 - first deadline for tax on banks' financial assets
Monday, April 1, 2019
The tax on the banks' net financial assets will be an annual tax paid half-yearly and in 2019 the first payment deadline will be August 25, Finance minister Eugen Teodorovici announced on Friday after the government meeting that approved amendments to Ordinance No. 114/2018."This is an annual tax on banking institutions payable half-yearly and is the product of the tax base and the tax rate; the resulting amount is reduced according to the two adjustment criteria. ...