IMF mission chief Jaewoo Lee says fight against corruption must continue

The fight against corruption must continue because it would help improve the governmental revenues and increase the expenditure efficiency, new International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission chief for Romania Jaewoo Lee told a news conference on Friday.

"Romania's progress in fighting corruption was internationally acknowledged and it must continue. Reducing corruption would help improving the governmental revenues, increasing expenditure efficiency and strengthening competitiveness," Lee stated.

According to him, the judicial independence and the rule of law should be the cornerstone of the fight against corruption.

He also spoke about last year's economic growth of 7 percent, remarking that it is the highest of the European Union, but it was fed by consumption, taxation and the increase in the minimum wage.

For 2018, the IMF estimates a 5 percent increase of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and on a medium-term, it forecasts a slowdown of the economic advance of up to 3 percent. AGERPRES (RO - author: Florin Barbuta, editor: Andreea Marinescu; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)