The leasing market from Romania - estimated at EUR 1.5 bln

The Romanian leasing market will reach next year, at best, the level registered in 2009, estimated at maximum EUR 1.5 bln, but it may also be below this threshold, subject to the economic evolution, the representatives of the relevant companies estimate, Mediafax informs. "This year, the leasing market could reach maximum EUR 1.5 bln at best, and for 2010 it would be a performance to remain at the level from 2009, but it could be also lower. We don't know exactly what will happen, because there are many unknowns," declared Dan Constantinescu, executive manager for sales UniCredit Leasing Corporation.

The Association of Financial Companies - ALB Romania estimates that the market will total EUR 1.25 bln this year, down 74 per cent vs. 2008.

Mihaela Mateescu, general manager Raiffeisen Leasing, estimates that the volumes registered at national level in 2007-2008 will not be reached soon. She pointed out that the difficult situation with which the leasing companies are faced will continue also in the first half 2010, but the evolution depends considerably on the budget of the state, on the collection of the taxes, and on the payment of the state debts to firms.

In his turn, BCR Leasing director stated that he has never worked so much on budgets, scenarios, strategies and predictions as he did in 2009. MKB Romexterra Leasing president, Cornel Coca-Constantinescu, estimates that the leasing firms must identify the possibilities to re-launch the market next year, and also the sore points of the previous approaches.

On another hand, Raiffeisen Leasing chief estimates that the biggest financing opportunities for the leasing companies are the investments in infrastructure through the state.

The leasing market from Romania could reach EUR two bln at the end of 2009, MKB Romexterra Leasing president declared on Tuesday evening. He included in the EUR 2 bln the segment of the new business oriented towards the recovery of the goods, explaining that one of the vehicles that the leasing companies use in the sale of recovered goods is the leasing. He stressed that presently the companies definitely appeal to leasing, especially in this period when funding is necessary.

On another line, the performances of the most important leasing companies, which give the trend and shape the relevant market, were awarded on Tuesday evening during the "Top leasing companies" Gala, the organizers granting nine trophies.

Among them we find Unicredit Leasing Corporation IFN SA, Immorent Romania IFN SA, BCR Leasing IFN SA received the award for the biggest funds granted to legal persons, NBG Leasing IFN SA. Other awarded leasing companies were Raiffeisen Leasing IFN SA for the best solution to turn to account the taken over assets, Cornel Coca- Constantinescu, Sixt New Kopel for the biggest fleet in the administration of an operational leasing company, and Porsche Leasing Romania IFN SA for the biggest captive broker in Romania.

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