Deposits of non-government resident clients grew by 1.7% in August
compared to the previous month, to RON 449.9 billion, and were up 15.5%
(9.7% in real terms) year-on-year, according to data published by the
National Bank of Romania on Thursday, 23 September. Residents’
RON-denominated deposits, accounting for 64.8% of total deposits of
non-government clients, increased by 1.9% compared to July 2021, to RON
291.7 billion, and by 16.1% (10.3% in real terms) compared to August
2020. Households’ deposits in RON dropped 0.2% month-on-month, to RON
158.3 billion, and were up 12.6% (7% in real terms) against August
2020.
European Central Bank policymakers are bracing for inflation to exceed
the bank’s already raised estimates, paving the way for it to end its
emergency bond purchases in March, sources who wished to remain
anonymous told Reuters. The ECB, which plans to make a decision on the
future of its Pandemic Emergency Purchase Program (PEPP) in December,
expects inflation to ease back in 2022-23 after this year’s abnormal
bounce as the economy goes back to its pre-pandemic path. But
conversations with eight members of the ECB’s Governing Council who
asked not to be named showed that many, if not most, felt the new
forecasts (which put inflation at 2.2% in 2021, 1.7% in 2022 and 1.5%
in 2023) were too low.
Raiffeisen Bank, Visa and Trans Sped, a Romanian provider of digital
transformation solutions, have concluded a partnership through which
the bank’s SME clients can obtain qualified digital signature
certificates, under preferential conditions. Clients who hold and
purchase an electronic signature using a Visa Business card issued by
Raiffeisen Bank will thus benefit from an additional discount,
according to the information transmitted by the bank’s representatives
on Thursday, 23 September. The qualified digital certificate can be
obtained online, without having to go to the bank, using the certified
video identification solution in Trans Sped’s portfolio.
The balance of non-government loans granted by credit institutions grew
by 1% in August 2021 compared to July 2021 (0.8% in real terms), to RON
309.7 billion, according to data published by the National Bank of
Romania on Thursday, 23 September. RON-denominated loans, accounting
for 71.3% of the total volume of non-government loans, increased by
1.3%, and foreign currency-denominated loans expressed in RON,
representing 28.7% of the total non-government loans, were up 0.3%
(-0.03% when the indicator is expressed in euro).
Someş Water Company, the regional operator for Cluj and Sălaj Counties,
has started an investment project worth over RON 60 million (about EUR
12 million) for the construction of a water transportation system from
Tarniţa dam, in Cluj County, to Sălaj County. The approximately 68
kilometer long water transportation system on Sălaj territory will
cross the cities of Zalău, Jibou, Şimleu Silvaniei and Cehu Silvaniei,
but also the communes of Bălan, Surduc, Someş-Odorhei, Sălăţig,
Hereclean, Vîrşolţ, Crasna and Pericei, according to a press release
issued by Sălaj County Council.
Bega Turism, the largest tourism company in Timiş County, controlled by
the Cristescu brothers, plans to invest EUR 8 million in a
high-capacity hotel in Timişoara, according to company officials. In
2021, Cristescu brothers have invested another EUR 10 million in a
200-room Ibis hotel, inaugurated at the beginning of March.
Construction works on the hotel, which operates a space dedicated to
events as well, lasted two years and the unit was affiliated to a brand
of the Accor group.
The Swiss from Artemis, who own five industrial parks near Timişoara,
are building a third industrial unit in the park from Sânandrei,
spreading on 10.5 hectares. The Swiss company’s investment amounts to
approximately EUR 4 million, and the new construction will be delivered
at the end of February 2022. The canteen that will serve the entire
industrial park will be leased and operated by Pronat, which
distributes and produces organic food and cosmetics under its own brand
and which also has a factory in the park from Sânandrei, Timiş County.
Pronat is owned by Codruţa Petcu and Emanuel Popa.
The draft law capping interest rates on consumer loans and the sums
requested by debt recovery companies was re-submitted for debate in
Parliament by Senator Daniel Cătălin Zamfir on Wednesday, 22 September.
According to the normative act, non-banking financial institutions
cannot request debtors to pay more than double the borrowed amount,
thus putting an end to the situations when debtors end up paying even
ten times the borrowed sum.
The European Commission took an important step against e-waste and
consumer inconvenience, caused by the prevalence of different,
incompatible chargers for electronic devices and presented on Thursday,
23 September, a proposal to establish a common charging solution for
all relevant devices. According to the revised Radio Equipment
Directive, the charging port and fast charging technology will be
harmonized: USB-C will become the standard port for all smartphones,
tablets, cameras, headphones, portable speakers and handheld videogame
consoles.
Authorities announced on Thursday, 23 September, that the number of 10
million doses of anti-COVID-19 vaccine administered at national level
since the beginning of the campaign had been exceeded. More than 5
billion doses of the vaccine have been administered at global level.
According to specialists, vaccination remains the most convenient
solution to protect oneself against SARS-CoV-2.
On Thursday, 23 September, the Government approved, through a
Government Decision, the new measures proposed by the National
Committee for Emergency Situations (CNSU) amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Government has thus established, among other things, that people
vaccinated against Covid-19 in localities where the incidence rate
exceeds 6 per one thousand inhabitants can travel outside their
homes/households on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during the time
interval 20:00 - 5:00.