Local courier company FAN Courier, estimates that this year's turnover will exceed the 131 million euro, up 13.2% over the previous year's results, in line with the company's initial forecasts and the results of the top 11 months of the year. For FAN Courier, 2017 can be characterized as the year with the most value-added services launched. "The rising appetite of the Romanian market for courier services, mainly as a result of the explosion of the e-commerce segment, risks being affected by the legislative and fiscal changes announced for 2018, with a relevant impact on all economic actors - companies and consumers. Against such backgrounds, our estimates of business developments for the next year are more cautious than in previous years. The budget for 2018 will be built taking into account two scenarios - pessimistic, for which we are also preparing for a possible stagnation and a realistic prudent scenario in which we anticipate a 10% increase, "said Adrian Mihai, founder of FAN Courier. ...more »

PeliFilip assisted the British group, Kingfisher PLC, one of the largest European DIY chains present in Romania through the Brico Depot brand, in the acquisition of Praktiker România, which currently operates 26 units and is one of the largest DIY retailers in the country. Last week, the acquisition of Praktiker by the Kingfisher Group was successfully completed. Kingfisher entered the Romanian market in 2013 through the purchase of Bricostore stores, a transaction in which they were assisted as well by the PeliFilip lawyers. With this latest acquisition, the British group is set to strengthen its position in a growing market. ...more »

Romania has a large labor force deficit, mainly in construction, IT, agriculture and healthcare, declared labor Minister Lia Olguta Vasilescu. "The largest labor shortage that Romania currently has is in construction, IT, agriculture and healthcare. The most problematic sectors are construction and agriculture, as the majority of people who left the country are working in these areas in the EU pointed out the minister. "Construction and agriculture are the most problematic, but the majority of people who left the country are working in these areas in the EU" ...more »

FAN Courier, the leader of the local courier market, launches this month eBOX, the online delivery option that allows customers to take full control of deliveries and pick them from lockers with 24/7 access. The new service, implemented as a pilot project in Bucharest, is an alternative to the classic courier service, intended for people who can not or will not wait for the courier to the address....more »

“The much discussed and debated ordinance that contains amendments to the Tax Code included in the governance program, meaning long time known changes approved by Parliament, brings important benefits to citizens and companies that operate in Romania" says Finance Minister Ionut Misa, but it seems that not everyone agrees to the proposed measures. ...more »

The European Commission estimates that Romania ended the second quarter of 2017 with a 4.1% deficit, the highest in the European Union, according to data adjusted with seasonal variations, published by Eurostat. ...more »

Salaries in the Romanian private sector rose 5% on average, and bonuses offered by employers rose 12% between January and September 2017, compared to the same period in 2016, according to the Smartree Workforce Index. ...more »

British company DS Smith, a maker of corrugated packaging, recycled paper and plastic packaging, will acquire family-owned Romanian packaging and paper makers EcoPack and EcoPaper for 208 million euros....more »

Three Romanian companies made it to the Central European Deloitte Technology Fast 50 ranking and one received a special award for the Most Disruptive Innovation. The speed of growth among Central Europe’s technology companies continues to accelerate, with average growth between 2013 and 2016 hitting a new record of 1,127%. ...more »

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revised its growth estimates for the Romanian economy this year, from 4.2% to 5.5%, according to the latest World Economic Outlook, published by the international financial institution. The IMF has also improved its forecast for the growth rate of Romania's economy in 2018 to 4.4%, compared to the 3.4% forecast projected in April.  ...more »