ANALYSIS: The construction sector can really get out of the crisis this year

The year that has just begun could be the first time when the business environment in Romania truly gets out of the crisis, according to the result of a survey conducted by KeysFin, a company specialized in offering business information as well as credit and risk management. The survey was conducted among a representative sample of businessmen from the IMM and corporate business environment. The barometer of economic expectations in Romania shows a moderate optimism, conditioned by the fiscal challenges and global economic developments. According to the estimates made by investors, after 2014 when the watchword was survival, 2015 starts under positive signs. The main arguments invoked by businessmen are: the possible political stability generated by the end of the presidential elections and the positive perception of the policy announced by the new President, Klaus Johannis, as well as the decrease in fuel prices, which, if it keeps the same coordinates, will have a positive effect on the production and transport costs. Thus, over 53% of managers surveyed expect that in 2015 there will take place an economic evolution, while only 34% consider that there will be a continuation of the crisis at all levels.Furthermore, 13% of the respondents avoided to characterize the economic developments in 2015, considering that there are too many unknown and uncertain data. For all the managers who responded to the KeysFin survey, the optimal development of the economy cannot be possible without the enhancement of business relations as well as public and private investment without a financial debauchment. Among the challenges that companies will face in 2015 and which are possible, we find the increase of taxes (mentioned by 70% of respondents), the global economic environment (23%), the fluctuation of major currencies (27%), the financial blockage (45%) and the political situation (34%). Furthermore, the investors, especially foreign ones, indicated as the main problems of the business environment, the unpredictability of the tax envirnment, the VAT rate which is higher than the one in Bulgaria, the financial blockage, bureaucracy and lack of high standards for transport infrastructure.