The local retail market was down 12 percent in the first half of the year, according to Nielsen Romania. The drop was higher – 15 percent - excluding the sales of discount stores. Traditional trade was the most affected, but still covered the bulk of the market in Romania, although hypermarkets and discounters have gained more ground in the meantime.

Romania plans to support young investors who will start a business by offering them state guarantees, as well as exemptions from social security payment and a state aid of 20 percent of the value of their projects, up to EUR 10,000. The Romanian Government has put up for public debate the ordinance project and plans to enact it later on.

With coal, gas, nuclear and large hydropower plants largely under state control, investors have found it hard to tap the European Union (EU) member state's energy market as successive governments have stalled reforms, privatizations and public-private partnerships, wrote newswire Reuters in a recent analysis about the Romanian wind projects market.

Carmaker Renault plans to increase production of its Dacia Duster sports-utility vehicle after getting 75,000 orders in five months, Le Figaro reported, quoted by newswire Bloomberg, citing Gerard Detourbet, head of Renault’s low-cost program. The company will raise output to 180,000 vehicles a year at the start of 2011, from 150,000, according to the French newspaper.

Futureal and Immofinanz will open the EUR 100 million Gold Plaza shopping center in Baia Mare on November 4, after previously setting the opening date for September this year. The developers had been planning to finalize the shopping center in 2008, but the project was delayed for 2009 and finally for 2010. The shopping mall has been 80 percent financed through a loan from MKB Bank.

Romania’s economy will shrink at the fastest pace among emerging states in Europe this year, while its estimated growth of 1.5 percent for 2011 will be the smallest in the region, the International Monetary Fund said in its latest global outlook report. The IMF forecasts Romania's gross domestic product will decrease 1.9 percent in 2010, from a steep contraction of 7.1 percent a year earlier.

*Romania enters world top 10 of corn producers – in Ziarul Financiar
*Renault – There is no difference between Mioveni and France – in Ziarul Financiar
*Nokia brought us to Romania, say Japanese Anritsu – in Ziarul Financiar
*The pollution wave from Hungary will reach Romania in a couple of days – in Ziarul Financiar
*Ikea pays EUR 1.8 million to Catarama after a law suit of several years – in Ziarul Financiar
*9 banks and 8 law firms want to reform the stock market – in Ziarul Financiar

Romania’s upcoming agreement with the International Monetary Fund will “certainly” be lower than its current EUR 13 billion deal, IMF mission head Jeffrey Franks said Wednesday, adding that the financing program will most likely be a precautionary one.

Romania's electricity consumption was 4.3 percent higher in the first eight months of the year than during the same period last year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute. The population used 3.1 percent more electricity, while the public lightning use dropped by 3 percent.

Romania imported 24 percent more natural gas during the first eight months of the year compared to the same period of last year, while the local natural gas production was 3 percent lower during this interval, according to data from the National Statistics Institute.

The local retail market was down 12 percent in the first half of the year, according to Nielsen Romania. The drop was higher – 15 percent - excluding the sales of discount stores. Traditional trade was the most affected, but still covered the bulk of the market in Romania, although hypermarkets and discounters have gained more ground in the meantime.

Romania plans to support young investors who will start a business by offering them state guarantees, as well as exemptions from social security payment and a state aid of 20 percent of the value of their projects, up to EUR 10,000. The Romanian Government has put up for public debate the ordinance project and plans to enact it later on.

With coal, gas, nuclear and large hydropower plants largely under state control, investors have found it hard to tap the European Union (EU) member state's energy market as successive governments have stalled reforms, privatizations and public-private partnerships, wrote newswire Reuters in a recent analysis about the Romanian wind projects market.

Carmaker Renault plans to increase production of its Dacia Duster sports-utility vehicle after getting 75,000 orders in five months, Le Figaro reported, quoted by newswire Bloomberg, citing Gerard Detourbet, head of Renault’s low-cost program. The company will raise output to 180,000 vehicles a year at the start of 2011, from 150,000, according to the French newspaper.

Futureal and Immofinanz will open the EUR 100 million Gold Plaza shopping center in Baia Mare on November 4, after previously setting the opening date for September this year. The developers had been planning to finalize the shopping center in 2008, but the project was delayed for 2009 and finally for 2010. The shopping mall has been 80 percent financed through a loan from MKB Bank.

Romania’s economy will shrink at the fastest pace among emerging states in Europe this year, while its estimated growth of 1.5 percent for 2011 will be the smallest in the region, the International Monetary Fund said in its latest global outlook report. The IMF forecasts Romania's gross domestic product will decrease 1.9 percent in 2010, from a steep contraction of 7.1 percent a year earlier.

*Romania enters world top 10 of corn producers – in Ziarul Financiar
*Renault – There is no difference between Mioveni and France – in Ziarul Financiar
*Nokia brought us to Romania, say Japanese Anritsu – in Ziarul Financiar
*The pollution wave from Hungary will reach Romania in a couple of days – in Ziarul Financiar
*Ikea pays EUR 1.8 million to Catarama after a law suit of several years – in Ziarul Financiar
*9 banks and 8 law firms want to reform the stock market – in Ziarul Financiar

Romania’s upcoming agreement with the International Monetary Fund will “certainly” be lower than its current EUR 13 billion deal, IMF mission head Jeffrey Franks said Wednesday, adding that the financing program will most likely be a precautionary one.

Romania's electricity consumption was 4.3 percent higher in the first eight months of the year than during the same period last year, according to data from the National Statistics Institute. The population used 3.1 percent more electricity, while the public lightning use dropped by 3 percent.

Romania imported 24 percent more natural gas during the first eight months of the year compared to the same period of last year, while the local natural gas production was 3 percent lower during this interval, according to data from the National Statistics Institute.