Oana Tilica

Romania is actively participating in the consolidation of the European project, by exercising the mandate of the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, included, Minister of European Funds Rovana Plumb told a press conference on Tuesday.

The total number of companies having suspended their activity went up 14.21 percent in the first 11 months of 2018 as against the similar period of 2017, reaching 16,663 from 14,590, according to the data centralised by the National Trade Register Office (ONRC).

The mandatory private pension funds had assets worth 48.19 billion lei on 30 November 2018, up 23.51 percent from the level registered in the similar month of the previous year, according to the data of the Financial Supervisory Authority (ASF).

Activity in industry, retail and services will record a relative stability in the next three months, while prices will moderately grow in industry and constructions, according to the Romanian managers' expectations for December 2018-February 2019.

The government puts forward as of 1 January 2019 a duty called "tax on greed" on the financial-banking institutions, in case the 3-month and 6-month interbank offered rate ROBOR, which serves as benchmark for floating-rate loans in lei go over a certain value, the impact of such measure being able to reach 3 billion lei (rd 645 million euro, ed.

November 2018 annual inflation rate fell to 3.4pct, from 4.3pct in October, when prices for non-food goods advanced 4.24pct, food prices 2.86pct, while services posted a 2.5-pct advance, according to data released on Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

The National Bank of Romania (BNR) will fulfill its two mandates this year - price and financial stability, BNR Governor Mugur Isarescu said on Monday at a news conference where the bank's report on financial stability was released, noting that in all likelihood the consumer price index will enter the fluctuation margin of 2.5pct plus/minus one percent.

Romania's ten-month trade balance deficit was standing at 11.845 billion euro in late October, up by 1.62 billion euro from the same period of 2017, according to data released on Monday by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).

Romania will take over the presidency of the Council of the European Union at an important and special moment, when it is a must to negotiate the multiannual financial framework and organize the European Parliament elections campaign, so things already look exciting, on Monday asserted the French Ambassador to Romania, Michele Ramis, in a specialist conference.

The turnover of Romania's home appliances retailers could pass the 2 billion-euro mark this year, amid the increased appetite of the Romanians for Black Friday and Christmas shopping seasons, according to a KeysFin analysis released on Friday.