Romania cannot afford an economic interim period and the ministers in the interim Government must focus on boosting the support programmes for economy, especially those aimed at SMEs, Finance Minister Alexandru Nazare said on Wednesday at the launch of SME Eco-Tech programme.
"Following the political interim determined by the vote on the motion, we cannot afford an economic interim. We cannot afford this because the current economic situation requires ministers in the interim Government to remain highly focused on the programmes they are already implementing - and it is not only about the PNRR [National Recovery and Resilience Plan]. It is about any other programme supporting the economy, especially those targeting SMEs. The programme we are launching today here is focused on SMEs. As such, our presence here demonstrates this and I believe all other ministers during this period should focus on completing, finalising, announcing and accelerating the programmes they are managing. We are launching a programme that embodies the maturity of a trusted partnership between Romania and the Swiss Confederation, built step by step, learned from each stage, adjusted with each iteration. For the Ministry of Finance, as the coordinating unit at this moment, it is a responsibility but also a confirmation - bilateral cooperation, properly built over time, is a concrete instrument for the real economy," Alexandru Nazare mentioned.
According to him, the SME Eco-Tech programme is being launched at a time when the entire European economic architecture is under pressure from two simultaneous transformations, namely the digital transformation and the green transition, Agerpres informs.
The first programme mobilised funding of 145 million lei for 500 SMEs, generating more than 1,900 jobs. The sectors include healthcare services, tourism, IT, communications, transport, construction and energy-saving equipment.
In his view, the role of institutional partners is decisive.
"If we were working with a single bank in 2019, today, we have five partner credit institutions, and this expansion is not a matter of quantity, but one of maturity of the Romanian banking sector, capable of providing nationwide coverage, competitive conditions and real competition to the benefit of entrepreneurs. Looking at the bigger picture, the essential difference is the shift from a general support programme to a strategically oriented one, integrated into major European lessons and built based on concrete experience from the first stage. It is, if I may say so, an example of public policy that evolves by learning from practice. This development can be seen in the financial architecture of the programme," Nazare said.
According to him, the programme's budget is 55.7 million Swiss francs, equivalent to 298 million lei, of which 39 million francs represent the Swiss contribution, while 16.7 million francs represent national co-financing.
Thus, the structure facilitates access to funding while also encouraging investment discipline, the active involvement of beneficiaries and the efficient use of resources, the minister said.
This programme addresses the real challenges which the SMEs are currently confronted with in the manufacturing industry, in a global context marked by numerous challenges, the Finance minister added.
Finance Minister Nazare attended the launch conference of the Programme for strengthening SMEs through improved access to finance - SME Eco-Tech, funded through Switzerland's second contribution to Romania.
The programme is managed and implemented by the Ministry of Economy, Digitalisation, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MEDAT), as programme operator, in partnership with five selected credit institutions, until 31 May 2029, providing a broad horizon for the development and consolidation of Romania's SME sector.
Through the SME Eco-Tech programme, the MEDAT provides new financial support for the development of the domestic business environment, with the overall objective of the green and digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises in Romania's manufacturing industry, aimed at improving their environmental footprint, thereby aligning with the relevant European Union objective of mitigating or adapting to climate change, the Ministry of Economy representatives said.
The programme is aimed at new investments in the economy worth over 100 million Swiss francs and the creation of at least 800 new jobs in the domestic manufacturing sector.
