AmCham sets ‘Priorities for Romania’. Business environment is concern about the economic stability

The American Chamber of Commerce in Romania (AmCham Romania) launched today the new edition of the Priorities for Romania report, to encourage the focus of the public debate especially in election years on strategic themes for the Romanian economy and society at large, as well as to introduce AmCham’s vision regarding the priorities of the 2016 – 2020 legislative and executive mandate.

”Compared to the previous elections, we notice an increased presence of economy related topics in the elections agenda and we hope for the attention of the candidates to remain the same after the elections. AmCham’s recommendations provide a clear picture of the business community priorities with regard to strategic sectors that require both immediate and midterm actions. Hopefully many of the recommendations set forth by the Priorities for Romania will eventually be incorporated by the political parties in their platforms in order to reach the common goal of increasing Romania’s economic competitiveness,” Ionut Simion, AmCham Romania’s President stated in a press conference.

AmCham emphasizes the main landmarks of the 2016-2020 mandate as being Romania’s EU Council Presidency between January-June 2019, a complex exercise, characterized by a multi-faceted responsibility in a difficult period for the European Union’s existence, and internally, defining the strategic Country Project, meant to build coherence in the public policies, investment allocation end an efficient use of all types of resources.

“Romania needs now a Country Project, anchored in a coherent European and transatlantic logic to protect the country’s status as a regional leader,” Simion added.

Priorities for Romania report is based on 5 pillars that can boost country’s economic growth and for which AmCham recommends immediate actions: human capital, modern infrastructure, attracting capital inflows, sustainable development and environment protection, rule of law and law enforcement.

However, according to AmCham’s Simion, the main priority is to ensure sustainable economic growth that can be obtained with stability.

“Any failure of a tax measure likely to bring electoral benefit and any populist measure which can not be sustained on medium term, will bring tax hikes,” AmCham Romania official warns. In this context, AmCham Romania representatives have already begun the discussions with the parliamentary parties’ leaders, as these are to be continued in the following days.

On this occasion, AmCham reiterates the need for a cross party alignment of all relevant stakeholders to define and adopt a multigenerational country project, a process for Romania’s transformation by involving the society at large in an exercise that requires confidence in the country’s potential to define its role and place in Europe and globally.