During the past 23 years since the French Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Romania (CCIFER) was founded, its main goal has been to stimulate new opportunities for its members with French or Romanian capital.
Today, the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Romania is gathering 600 member companies spread all over the country. Another mission consists in supporting our members in the public dialogue with the Authorities, directly or through the task forces of the Coalitia pentru Dezvoltarea Romaniei, a platform representing a strong part of Romanian economy. CCIFER’s activity as a business association is to help the business community’s members realize their full potential in Romania, to contribute to the development of their employees, and to support the strategic partnership between our two countries.
Francois COSTE, President of CCIFER, The French Chamber of Commerce & Industry in Romania shared The Diplomat – Bucharest the business organization’s vision regarding the growth perspective in Romania and the milestones and challenges that define the current business landscape.
According to CCIFER’s official, Romania is no longer a low cost country, it is a country where companies rely on talents for high value added activities; investors in Romania enhance their global competitiveness and access to the double digit growth potential of Romanian domestic market because Romania, within the EU, is an unsaturated market. CCIFER’s perspective on the Romanian business and macroeconomic growth is optimistic, based on facts and numbers, despite the challenges of an emerging economy.
Ever since the creation of CCIFER, in 1996, the annual evolution has only been positive in terms of new members, foreign direct investments and synergies not only within the Franco – Romanian business environment, but also with the local authorities and academic environment. This year, the French Chamber’s community has reached 600 members that are present in every economic sector and representing success business stories that are now part of Romanians’ everyday life. The drivers for growth are the competitive resources in Romania, the domestic demand, but also the openness to innovation.
The trade exchanges between France and Romania have increased with 8.2% in 2018 compared to 2017 and I am convinced this trend of growth hasn’t changed in 2019.
Today, the Romanian business environment has five priorities in the dialogue with the authorities, that match the drivers for growth, but also the holdbacks for a favorable economic environment: reducing the labor force deficit, developing the infrastructure of transport/health and education, predictability and stability of regulations, simplifying the interaction with the State, as well as Romania anchoring within European Union. These priorities, assumed within Coalitia pentru Dezvoltarea Romaniei, are the subject of a sustained dialogue with representatives at the highest level, both at the Government and Parliament level, the presidential Administration and all the political parties, in order to identify those solutions that allow the development of a competitive and sustainable economic environment, aligned with the convergence criteria of the Romanian society.
As stated by The CCIFER’s chairman, the business environment in Romania has had the tax changes as major subject of consultations in several working groups or social dialogue meetings. The suggestions relate to the measures of administrative simplification of the Fiscal Procedure Code as well as normalizing the relationship between the tax authority and taxpayers. “Unlocking the competitiveness factors such as infrastructure or labor force, administrative simplification and predictability and, above all, anchoring in the European Union are fundamental principles for a healthy and sustainable economy, which will equally benefit the business community, the citizens, Romania and Europe,” Francois Coste says.
According to CCIFER’s chairman, “spectacular performance can be achieved in Romania, the French entrepreneurs have demonstrated it, despite the challenges that may arise in the political, economic or fiscal framework. My message to business peers and CCIFER members is to keep up their good work, that helps overcome the clichés we have about each other as nations and even about ourselves as individuals and that hinder the wonderful projects we can do together.”
(From the print edition)
