IMF: Romania can draw investments in energy sector if aligns prices with those in the EU

A manner for Romania to draw local and foreign investors in the energy and transports sector is to converge prices with those in the rest of the European Union, Andrea Schaechter, chief of IMF mission for Romania, said on Tuesday, in a telephone conference referring to the approval in the IMF Board of the first two evaluations of the Agreement with Romania.

Schaechter showed that the energy sector and the transports sector have a great potential in Romania, but that in both sectors there is a great need for investments. She gave the example of the train speed in Romania, which, compared to that of other countries, is very low. On the other hand Schaechter noted the progress the Romanian state made in the process of liberalisation of the energy and natural gas market, where the schedules were observed.

Therefore, the deregulation is essential for investments to continue. The current process is a step forward in the right direction. Romania had a good economic growth last year, one of the highest in the EU, and this objective must be fulfilled to diminish the gap, the IMF official said.

The electricity market for non-household consumers was completely liberalised starting January 1, 2014, and that for household consumers will be completely liberalised on December 31, 2017.

In respect with natural gas, prices will be completely liberalised on December 31, 2014, and for household consumers, in December 31, 2018.

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