INVESTMENT IN ROMANIA

For many investors, Romania is considered the most interesting country in the Balkans, at least in economic terms. Its size (22 million consumers), the raw materials (oil deposits) and the fact that it is now a full member of the European Union, make it an attractive destination not only for Greek products, but also for Greek capital.

Additional, a positive factor is that Romania is the largest country and also the largest Balkan market, offering a wide range of options. In summary, it provides several levels of security, while the political uncertainty is absent. Another positive element is the clear tax regime. If it is for company taxation, the tax is only 16% on the profits.
At the same time, the country seems to be re-entering in the "virtuous" economic cycle and in the path of development. According to the Statistical Office of Romania, the gross industrial output of the country for 2014 was higher by 2,8%, compared with 2013.
The improvement of the performance of economic indicators is assisted by the positive assessments of the IMF, regarding the progress of the support program in the country. More specifically, a group of representatives from the European Commission and the IMF estimated that "the Romanian authorities implemented the policies which included in their program”.
According to European Economic Forecast - Autumn 2015, Romanian GDP will grow 4,1% in 2016 and 3,6% for 2017.
In terms of investment, particular interesting is the real estate market, which is taxed with only 1% of the value (of course there is no distinction between objective and market values) depending on the size of the transaction.
Another positive element is the fact that, in contrast to other Balkan countries such as Serbia, or parts of Bulgaria, Romania has a reliable real estate register.
The purchase of any building by foreign citizens, requires simply for the potential investor to provide his identification card or his passport.
In case of land purchase the launching of a Limited Liability Company (Ltd.) is required. However, the operation of Ltds in Romania is equivalent with the Greek private limited Companies (OE).
For setting up an Ltd in Romania just three certificates are required. First of all, a certificate of non-existence of overdue debts to the Romanian government is necessary, also a sample of signature and attestation by the competent authorities for the lawful interests of the concerned buyer.
A Ltd may be registered within just five working days, while the minimum share capital is just 60 euro.
Finally, significant interest is shown in investments in energy and industry and retail trade.