Big businesses with funds from the state budget

The 2009 state and social security draft budgets, passed at the end of last week by Parliament, after four days of intense debates, leave two problems unsolved: Will taxes collected provide the necessary funds for projects which have been approved on paper and will public institutions be able to shorten proceedings so that the money can make it into the company market as soon as possible?

Public sector IT infrastructure projects will be fewer this year, although most companies in the field are waiting for this type of projects and hope that projects frozen in 2008 are unblocked this year, according to the General Manager of Oracle Romania, Sorin Mindrutescu.

The IT market is not set to increase as much as in previous years, due to the international financial crisis. However, Mindrutescu, who runs the local branch of one of the top business software producers worldwide, told Business Standard that he believes that "budget cuts will be made on this segment because social pressure exists, on the pension area, for instance." "The government announced plans to support public investment. This will also stimulate the furniture market. If these investments will have an impact on the Real estate segment, this will be good for our industry, because they are directly connected," Egger's Radauti wood industry factory Sales Manager, Mihai Sandru, told Business Standard.

Business Standard