PM Emil Boc and Minister of Economy, Trade and Business Environment, Mr. Adrian Videanu have attended the signing of contracts for the first call for projects for the year 2010 for investment in large enterprises, in total value of 131.52 million lei.

The Head of the Executive has appreciated that attracting European funding and public investment in infrastructure are two important directions on which Romania can act to overcome the economic crisis. "Public funds - whether from the budget or the European Union - can help the Romanian economy until the private sector is recovering from recession. (...) At this moment, the Romanian Government, Minister of Economy, Finance and Labor have as important preoccupations: backing business environment and keeping the jobs of the Romanians. It is our top priority and we work at it every day. " Prime Minister has stated.

PM Emil Boc mentioned a series of government measures taken to back business environment and job preservation: keeping the 16% flat tax, 19% VAT, tax exemption for reinvested profit, measures on VAT refund.

Prime Minister reminded measures to back companies hiring unemployed - through exemption from social security contributions for a 6 month period - and backing local authorities through the possibility of using government guarantees for financing eligible projects from European funds. PM Emil Boc has also referred to the "First house", "Car scrap", "10 homes for professionals in rural areas and building homes through ANL, meant to support the Romanian economy.

The Head of the Executive has appreciated that the governmental measures and the observance by Romanian authorities of the foreign loan agreement led to the stabilization of RON / EUR rate, low interest rates and improvement of the rating by Standard & Poor's agency (S & P) from negative to stable.

"There are things that can help overcome the economic recession. Obviously, as any body that comes from illness, convalescence lasts. Therefore, it is important what the states does at this time, via backing public investment and the process of attracting European funds “Prime Minister has stated.

The Head of the Executive has urged the Romanian companies to submit documents needed to obtain funding so that "money can be used as soon as possible in the Romanian economy", arguing that the Government is working on a series of measures to support entrepreneurs. In this respect, Prime Minister has mentioned the draft law to help young people set up a company. Prime Minister has also showed that he asked the Ministry of Finance to consider the possibility of compensating payable with collectible VAT mechanism or with other debts to the state budget when the state debt is paid by firms.

Another request extended by Prime Minister to Ministry of Finance aims at "the possibility of so-called compensation in three to the state budget regarding the state’s debt towards you and your debt to state, or through other economic agents, so that companies that must collect from the state or an entity of the state and, at the same time, have to pay VAT or other contributions to the state, will not be forced to go into insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings, although you had to pay the state and the state was in debt at the same time” Prime Minister has stated.

Prime Minister has also referred to the payment of principal and not of accessory when a debt is paid to state. “We now give the possibility that when one goes to pay a debt, there is no obligation to cut only the debt from penalties, but the principal, because that is continuing to produce penalties, leading to insolvency or bankruptcy. And thus, we help companies to not enter bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings” Prime Minister has explained. Other measure aimed by Executive is simplification of fiscal statements. In this respect, Prime Minister has showed that there has been created a working group to work at the simplification of fiscal statements.

Government of Romania