Anticorruption fight improves Romania’s image, says Austrian and German investors

Wednesday, February 25, 2015 Share

Although Romania still struggles with issues such as underdeveloped infrastructure, poor EU funds absorption and bureaucracy, the country has reported progress over the past couple of years, said participants to the sixth edition of the German and Austrian Investors Forum organized by BR this Monday. And recent news about Romania’s fight against corruption helps improve the country’s image even further, they added.

“There is definitely a positive development in what we see happening with the anticorruption fight,” commented Gerhard Reiweger, the ambassador of the Republic of Austria to Bucharest.

Achim Troster, deputy head of mission with the German Embassy to Bucharest added that there are “hopeful signs” coming from Romania’s political scene. “Let me just mention the elections last year, and not because of the fact that a perfectly German-speaking president was elected. What is most relevant for the economy is the fact that the fight against corruption will continue and we have seen this in the last report issued by the European Commission at the end of January, the famous CVM report, which sees some positive signs on a repeated basis. This is not a breakthrough but it is a very good sign,” he explained.

Troster added that he is also optimistic that one of the recommendations of the last CVM report, the one on tackling everyday corruption is being addressed. “Things will be improving, slowly but steadily,” he added.

Representatives of companies present to the event have also saluted the authorities’ efforts to fight corruption. “For us in Romania it (e.n. the anticorruption fight) has been a fundamental shift over the past one and a half year on how this is being tackled both in the public area but also in the private sector. This is basically changing our profile on how we want to invest in Romania, “said Markus Lause, director of the enterprise business unit at Vodafone Romania. (Source: http://business-review.eu/)