Interim President Ilie Bolojan on Wednesday said politicians must create conditions for foreign investors to continue developing in Romania, stressing that performance should be rewarded and lack of performance should be penalised.

'What we need to do, I believe, as politicians, is to create conditions so that you can continue to develop. I have said it before: I believe that a country is not changed by a government or a president, but a country is changed by the people of that country and the companies that invest there. But we also have the obligation to create conditions, to create predictability, to create conditions so that performance is rewarded, and the lack of work or performance is penalised, and to have good rules. And I believe these are the basic elements we can rely on,' said Ilie Bolojan at the 'FIC CEOs: Romania on the Investment Map' event, organised by the Foreign Investors Council (FIC) at the Cotroceni Palace.

He thanked foreign businesspeople for the investments they made in the country.

'Because if Romania has changed in these years, it is the result of the combination between Romanian investments and foreign ones made in Romania. And, as an administrator, having managed a smaller city in western Romania for 12 years, I know the value of an investment because it does not mean just an investment for the profit of those making it, but it means technology transfer, it means jobs, it means taxes and fees, and it means better living conditions for our communities. And I thank you, I am grateful for what you have done in Romania over these years,' said the interim president.

Ilie Bolojan pointed out that Romania is in a rather complicated economic context.

'But I hope there will be wisdom to overcome these times, just as we have overcome other more complicated stages,' added the head of state.

The event at Cotroceni was also attended by President of the Foreign Investors Council Daniel Anghel, who said that foreign investments account for approximately 35% of Romania's GDP in 2024.

'At the same time, with the help of these investments, the economy has grown significantly over the past ten years, from 36 to 355 billion euros - in 2024,' he said.

Anghel also pointed out that 51% of the turnover of companies in Romania is represented by foreign capital. He mentioned that exports related to foreign direct investments represent approximately 69% of total exports, and companies with foreign capital employ over 1.3 million employees and invest approximately 1.5% more than the national average.

The Foreign Investors Council president indicated that FIC members had a total contribution to the state budget of approximately 82 billion lei in 2023, which represents over 18% of the state's collected revenue.

'Member companies transferred to the Romanian budget VAT and excises amounting to approximately 31% of the total indirect taxes and fees collected by the state budget, and the investments of the companies from the Foreign Investors Council represent 43% of public capital, according to the execution of the consolidated budget, while payments made by FIC to the state budget in 2023 - an important figure - covered more than half of the personnel expenses in the public sector,' added Anghel.

He mentioned that, in March, data showed a slowdown in investments due to political uncertainties, the geopolitical context, the budget deficit and fiscal uncertainties.

'The capital investments planned by FIC members are somewhat reduced, unfortunately comparable to the situation six years ago during the pandemic,' said Anghel, who called for predictability, transparency and legislative clarity. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Florentina Peia; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)