After eleven months, foreign investments are up 3.74%

In the first eleven months of last year, Romania has seen direct foreign investments of 1.440 million Euros from non-residents, compared to 1.388 million Euros, in the similar period of last year, according to a press release of the National Bank of Romania (NBR).

Out of the total of direct investments made by non-residents in Romania, the total equity stakes consolidated with the net loss have amounted to 473 million Euros, whereas intra-group loans (loans granted by the foreign investors to their Romanian subsidiaries) have amounted to 967 million Euros, the Central Bank informs.

• The current account deficit has dropped by 18,9%

The current account deficit for the first eleven months of the year was 4.245 billion Euros, down 18.9% over last year's similar period, the press release states. This evolution was first and foremost influenced by the drop in revenues, as well as by the increase in the current account transfers and the balance of services, according to the NBR. The current transfers surplus increased 86 million Euros between January and November 2012, over the similar period of 2011, whereas the surplus of the trade balance climbed 263 million Euros, the Central Bank states. The deficit of the revenue balance fell by 707 million Euros.

At the end of November, the trade balance had a deficit of 6.034 billion Euros, compared to 6.229 billion Euros, in the same month of last year, according to the official statistics.

• The foreign debt has increased 529 million Euros in November

The foreign debt seen at the end of the first eleven months of 2012 was 99.676 billion Euros, up 952 million Euros over the end of the year, and up 529 million Euros compared to the month of August, according to data from the NBR.

The medium and long term foreign debt for the January-November period was 78.170 billion Euros, representing 78.4% of the total foreign debt, the press release states. Compared to December 2011, the long term debt has increased 3%, the Central Bank informs.

The short term debt has fallen during this period, 5.7% over the last month of 2011, down to 21.506 billion Euros, according to the press release.

The rate of the medium and long term debt service (the ratio between the medium and long term debt and the exports of goods and services) was 31.9% in the first eleven months, compared to 28.8% last year, the NBR states. At end-November 2012, goods and services import cover4 stood at 7.2 months, as compared with 7.5 months at end-2011.