Romania is still underperforming in terms of strategies to promote export activities among Romanian entrepreneurs in order to facilitate consistent access to markets other than the European ones, Economy Minister Radu Oprea said on Monday.

He attended the event marking the 20th anniversary of the Romanian Export Council at the Victoria Palace of Government.

The Economy minister underlined the role of the private sector within the council in promoting our country’s export strategies.

„There is, if you like, a certain disproportion in terms of the public-private partnership that the Export Council should be, the way the private side is present here and has continuity and can really bring all the public policies to stimulate exports to the Romanian entrepreneurs and the side that belongs to the Romanian state, which should come up with the strategy part. And, unfortunately, we are still lacking in strategies that allow us to extract, if you will, together, the entrepreneur from his or her state of comfort, because today they are in a state of comfort. 75 percent of entrepreneurs in Romania are on the single market. It’s simple, daily business, as we fly by plane faster now because we are in Schengen Air, and 10 percent of them are in the other European countries, only 15 percent on all the other markets,” said Oprea.

According to him, the last percentage mentioned is a small one, if one takes into account the „traditional markets” that Romania has had and where entrepreneurs from our country should be, once again, as present as possible.

„We should be more present, but this can only happen with you, only with the Export Council representatives. I believe in the potential we have together, in the public-private partnership. I congratulate all of you, who represent (…) a strong employers’ organisation, for the fact that you manage to bring Romanian entrepreneurs together and to create opportunities, to explain to them that there are opportunities to export and, why not, to see, together, over time, that the Romanian entrepreneur and Romanian capital have matured, that we can tackle foreign markets with great success. (…) Together with you we can be increasingly present at fairs and exhibitions, where it is mandatory to be present,” explained the Minister.

He mentioned that, however, current figures show a „balancing” of the trade balance.

„Perhaps it is not really by chance that (…) the trade balance has stabilised and the deficit has fallen by 15%. I say that, somewhere, somehow, you also have part of the merit,” Radu Oprea said.

The head of the Prime Minister’s Chancellery, Mihai Ghigiu, also said that the state, in terms of its tasks within the Export Council, „is not doing its job well enough”.

„Although this is a celebration event, I cannot avoid talking about the ‘elephant’ in the room and the problems the Export Council has. State institutions are in a public-private partnership, but the state, as in other places, does not do its job well enough, and I will not refrain myself from saying that everything is perfect, but I would not generalise what is happening at the level of an institution or institutions, I would not generalise that it would be a constant at the level of public administration,” said Ghigiu.

He stressed that in the current international context, only together the private sector and the state can solve the trade deficit.

„I believe that we live in a period in which neither you alone, nor we alone can solve the trade deficit. A period in which we have conflicts, we have sanctions or a period in which what shapes international politics compels us to work together, in partnership. Today’s event is based on these two words – together and in partnership – public institutions, with their mistakes, with their gaucheries, and you,” Mihai Ghigiu added.

The event was also attended, among others, by current and former presidents of the Export Council, Mihai Ionescu, Eugen Dijmarescu, Aurica Sereny, honorary president of the Romanian Furniture Manufacturers Association, MEP Maria Grapini, former minister of Economy and Finance Varujan Vosganian.

AGERPRES