Private SMEs: PNRR brings no progress to business milieu, allocations down to EUR 2.28 billion

This famous National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) has brought no progress, on the contrary, it brought a decrease in business allocations, from EUR 3.8 billion in the first version, to EUR 2.28 billion, in the version approved in the government, Florin Jianu, president of the National Council for Small and Medium Private Enterprises of Romania (CNIPMMR), said on Friday in an online debate.

"The economy has, however, been slowed down, because we are in a period of deep pandemic. A period that aggravates inequalities among countries that can afford to invest, among Euro and non-Euro countries, but also within countries. There are whole sectors, such as the small and medium-sized enterprises sector, which are extremely affected. Social categories extremely affected. I was looking at some data at European level, where the unemployment rate has increased by almost 2 pct, i.e. four million people are in unemployment. From here, from these realities we must set off towards what recovery and resilience mean. We get to this famous PNRR [National Plan for Recovery and Resilience, ed.n.] which, in our opinion, has not led to any progress, on the contrary: from EUR 3.8 billion as it was allocated in the first variant for the business milieu, in this last variant approved through Government Memorandum and which is going to the European Commission for negotiations, the business environment has EUR 2.28 billion. In an intermediary variant given by the government there were EUR 2.4 billion...," Jianu said.

According to the Private SMEs representative, at the moment, Economy Minister Claudiu Nasui has problems in communicating with the business environment and avoids having a meeting to discuss issues that "are so serious and so pressing".

Jianu has been "moderately optimistic" about the growth of the economy, as "consumption is falling, SMEs say they will not increase wages and that this year is one of survival".

DC News Media Group organizes the online debate on Friday on "Upgrade Romania: Investments, "Lifeline" of the economy".AGERPRES