The economies of Central and East European states will continue to grow over the next five years. Thus, in line with an optimistic scenario, Romania will report one of the most significant developments, of about 4% annually, according to Stuart Hensel, an analyst with The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
"An optimistic scenario points to 4% economic growth for Romania, while the other countries in the region will witness 2% growth, which is quite plausible," Hensel told the economic workshop that was organised at the end of last week in Bucharest.
According to the analyst, the economic growth of states preparing to join the European Union or those that entered the EU during the first expansion wave can be limited by costs and additional tasks generated by integration. Hensel considers, at the same time, that the ascending trend of foreign investment in Central and East European states will continue in the medium term.
"Foreign investment has surged in the entire region, and in the Balkans growth has been outstanding, peaking in Romania. In the medium term, over the next five years, foreign investment will go up, maybe not to a similar extent, but nonetheless above the average of the last several years. We expect consumption to grow in Romania and economic activities and productivity to increase," Hensel also said.
The latest official estimates point to economic growth of 7.6% this year, mainly due to positive results registered by the agricultural sector. Last year, Romania posted economic growth of 4.9%, and the budget draft for the year 2005 projects growth of 5.3%.
Pentru alte știri, analize, articole și informații din business în timp real urmărește Ziarul Financiar pe WhatsApp Channels
