Call for Input:
- AmCham kindly invites members to fill out the second edition of the AmCham APA SFIA MAP Survey available here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MGDVY2M. The aggregated results will be used to further ground AmCham’s recommendations to streamline the APA, MAP and SFIA issuance process, via the AmCham Taxation Commmittee.
Recent Initiatives:
- AmCham Meetings with the Romanian Government: With a new Government in office in Dec 2021, AmCham submitted the Prime-Minister and members of the Cabinet letters to share the leading AmCham priorities and requested introductory meetings. In this context, members of the AmCham Board have met PM Nicolae Ciucă (Dec 27) and VPM/Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Sorin Grindeanu (Jan 17).
During the Jan 17 meeting with VPM Sorin Grindeanu, AmCham representatives highlighted priorities related to transportation and infrastructure, as well as related to the portfolios he coordinated (public finances, economy, healthcare), such as:
- Romania’s accession to OECD
- improving the US-RO commercial and economic relations
- the need for investments in the transport infrastructure
- with respect to the fiscal policy
- predictability and transparency of the decision-making process
- digitization of the National Fiscal Administration (ANAF)
- reducing fiscal evasion and the VAT gap to increase budget revenues and the sustainability of Romania’s public finances
- the importance of the flat tax as an economic competitive advantage
- the nearshoring state-aid scheme and increasing the administrative capacity of the Invest Romania Agency to enhance the profile of Romania as an investment destination
- improving corporate governance in SOEs and capitalizing SOEs on the capital market to improve their economic performance
- measures addressing the workforce shortage which affects the economic competitiveness
- related to the healthcare sector
- the national vaccination campaign against COVID-19 as well as making other vaccines in Romania more easily available to the public
- investments in the healthcare infrastructure.
Vice Prime Minister Grindeanu presented his priorities for the transportation and infrastructure portfolio and shared with the AmCham representatives the Investment Program for Developing the Transport Infrastructure between 2021-2030, which was approved by the Government in late December 2021.
Information shared by VPM Grindeanu during the meeting:
- between 2021 and 2030, Romania will have approx. EUR 12 billion to modernize and build new transport infrastructure (PNRR, the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework, the Connecting Europe Facility) that will be toped up by national funds
- the Ministry will decentralize the management of investment projects and will encourage local authorities to lead the local / regional investments
- for 2022, the goal of the Ministry is to sign investment contracts totaling EUR 10 billion
- the Ministry is working on the Unique Register of Construction Vehicles / Equipment, to ensure that all economic agents working on infrastructure projects in Romania have the necessary equipment to complete the works within the contracted calendars; the draft legislation was published for public consultation on the Ministry’s website.
- to ensure better enforcement, the Ministry will amend the applicable legislation to allow the State Inspectorate for Traffic Control to conduct checks on local, regional and national roads on the entire Romanian road network.
- the Ministry intends to publish a unified framework for the nomination of members of the Boards of Directors and to replace all interim mandates with full-term members.
- the Government is preparing a series of changes to the public procurement legislation through a dedicated cross-ministries working group under the Prime Minister; the draft legislation will be published for public consultation in the near future; an alignment discussion with the EC will take place;
- the implementation capacity for the infrastructure projects in the NRRP is a concern.
- new and reliable companies bidding in the infrastructure construction area are needed and welcome.
Vice Prime Minister Grindeanu assured the AmCham representatives that no decision which will have an impact on the business sector will be made without consulting all stakeholders first.
Position Papers:
Upcoming Initiatives:
- AmCham’s outreach to the Government includes meetings of the AmCham Board of Directors scheduled for next week with the Minister of Environment Barna Tánczos (Jan 25) and with the Minister of Economy Florin Spătaru (Jan 26).
Recommendations:
