To catch up with the other European Union members, we must found about 230.000 new companies in the next five years.
To get close to Europe's level, the number of Romanian small and medium sized companies must increase from 26 per 1.000 inhabitants to 40 by 2013, according to reprezentatives of the National Council for Small and Medium sized Private Companies (CNIPMMR).
This process can be performed if the government will increase the funds for the founding of new companies, according to Ovidiu Nicolescu, the Council's president.
Bucharest companies number equal to the EU average
"We need tens of thousans of new firms and hundreds of thousands of prepared personnel. The actual government and parliament decided to raise the procent given to IMM (Small and Medium Companies) to 0.4% of the Nation Intern Product, from the current 0.1%. If we increase this percentage, we will have four times more money and a start-up program that will found 500-1.000 new firms", said, last week, Ovidiu Nicolescu.
The area with the largest number of IMM is in Bucharest, where for every 1.000 inhabitants there are 50 companies, figure equal to the EU average, but almost two times larger than Romania's average. According to CNIPMMR estimations, in order to reach 40 firms per 1.000 inhabitants by 2013, their number must increase by 230.000. "Now, we have approximately 600.000 IMM.
In the last two years, the IMM number raised by 25.000 per year, but we must intensify this grow", said Nicolaescu. In order to do this, the bussines environment must be predictible. According to the quoted souce, any modification in the Fiscal Code creates large difficulties for about 20-30.000 firms. A 5% raise of fiscal expenses will annul their profit and force them to shut down, states Nicolaescu.
Romanian companies, bankrupted by European standards
In 2008 the number of IMM that are preparing to acces European funds has tripled, compared to last year's figures, reaching 18.000 projects, according to the Council for IMM president. But, according to his estimations, EU funds will be sufficient for only 4.000 Romanian companies.
According to Nicolaescu, 20%-30% of the firms that bankrupted in 2007 because they could't rise up to the European quality standards. The most vulnerable areas of activity are commerce, where Romanian companies are suffocated by larger foreign chains, constructions, because of the lack of man power, and textile industry.
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