Most small and medium-sized companies are seeing their profits rise this year, by comparison with 2004, due to larger sales volumes, a survey by the National Council of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (CNIPMMR) shows. The poll reveals that 81% of the firms asked expect this year''s profits to be higher or identical by comparison with 2004. More than 60% of SMEs are expecting growth in actual sales volumes in 2005, and nearly 60% estimate an increase in orders. In addition, 2004 itself brought with it better or at least equal economic performance for 85% of SMEs compared with 2003. "Although economic performance is improving, there are many alarming gaps between the figures posted by Romanian companies and the European average, meaning that turnover, profits and labour productivity are remaining at lower levels than in the EU and the Romanian SME sector is far from being competitive in respect of accession," said Ovidiu Chirovici (photo), chairman of the National Agency for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and Cooperative Systems (ANIMMC). Attending the launch of the third edition of the SME white book, Chirovici said that one of the problems the companies in the survey had complained about was the decline in domestic demand. The drop in this indicator, he says, does not reflect purchasing power, but rather the fact that Romanian companies have started to lose ground to imported products. ZF
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