German companies envisage fewer investments in Romania amid harsh winter ahead

German companies in Romania assess their economic situation as good or satisfactory, although most of them see the international context worsening over the next 12 months, according to the survey carried out in October 2022 by the Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK Romania).

The propensity for investments has visibly diminished from the past survey. The volume of investments will remain unchanged for 33% of the companies surveyed, while also 33% (2021: 18%) say they will invest less. About 17% of companies do not intend to make any investment in 2023, and 16.7% want to increase their investments locally (2021: 36%).

It is encouraging that the number of employees remains constant, as companies have no intention of laying off staff. Thus, more than 63% of companies intend to maintain the number of employees (2021: 42%), while more than 30% even expect to increase it (2021: 40.8%).

The most significant risk for companies is still the price of energy, followed by the cost of raw materials and the lack of qualified personnel.

"I believe that the current situation of high energy prices will prevail for a longer period of time, and that is why we need more than ever close cooperation between the public and private sectors, but also between countries and the EU to find the better long-term solutions for the Romanian population and the economic environment," says Sebastian Metz, general director, AHK Romania.

The results of the World Business Outlook survey, carried out globally among over 3,100 German companies active abroad, show that the global economy is facing a harsh winter from the perspective of German companies active internationally.

(Photo source: AHK Romania)