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A number of 7,250 companies are today alive, working and making profit for both the entrepreneur and the Romanian economy following the launch of the Government's Start-Up Nation program, the Minister for the Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship, Radu Stefan Oprea, told a press briefing held together with the Director General of the World Trade Organization, Roberto Azevedo.
"Start-Up Nation is a program that aims to create 10,000 new companies each year. Last year, there were 12,000 applicants, of whom 10,000 were selected, and 8,444 contracts were concluded this year. The second business plan submission session has just been completed. The success of this program is also given by the large number of applicants - 33,514," the Minister for the Business Environment said.
According to him, one of the selection criteria in the Start-Up Nation was also the number of new jobs created. He also answered a question about the possibility for an entrepreneur to move his employees from an old firm to a new one created under this program.
He also said that he hoped that those who will sign contracts with banks or regional agencies should have sustainable business plans throughout the period so that they do not remain at the number of employees they thought about and their businesses will grow through exports and trade based on rules and under a rule of the World Trade Organization.
On the other hand, he also spoke about the decisions made in January this year at the World Economic Forum in Davos, where 76 states decided to start talks and negotiations on e-commerce.
In the context of Romania's exercising the Presidency of the EU Council, the Informal Meeting of Trade Ministers is taking place in Bucharest on 21-22 February. In this context, European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom and General Director of the World Trade Organization (WTO) Roberto Azevedo are also present in Bucharest.
