Romanian pharmaceutical producer Biofarm saw its net profit dropping by 26 percent last year, to EUR 3.45 million, according to preliminary financial data sent to the Bucharest Stock Exchange (symbol BIO), where the company is listed. Its operational profit was however up 22 percent compared to 2009, to EUR 3.9 million.

Aluminium producer Alro posted a preliminary net profit of USD 50.4 million last year, almost double on the previous year, the company has announced. Its turnover was of USD 570 million, up on the EUR 334 million posted the year before. The company paid a profit tax of EUR 7.9 million, while its other taxes amounted to EUR 19 million. RON 80 million.

Investors from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Kuweit and Qatar are interested in placing their money in Romania in sectors like agriculture, infrastructure and the financial sector, with a budget of minimum USD 20 million per project, according to Forum Invest, which will organize a business forum in this topic in Bucharest.

The Romanian gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 1.2 percent in 2010 from 2009, according to the National Institute of Statistics. According to the early estimations, the fourth-quarter GDP was by 0.1 percent higher than in Q3 of 2010 in real terms (seasonally adjusted data).

Era Shopping Park Oradea has signed the contract with a new anchor and plans to open the shopping mall phase of the retail project this autumn. The developers, Omilos Group, have signed the lease with clothing retailer Sprider Store, which will open a 850-sqm store in the shopping galleria. The new Sprider Stores unit will be opened mid-March.

ING has agreed to sell the majority of its ING Real Estate Investment Management business (ING REIM) in two separate transactions for a combined price of approximately USD 1 billion to CB Richard Ellis Group. Both ING REIM and CBRE are present on the Romanian market. ING REIM is present in Romania and owns the Felicia Shopping Center in Iasi. CBRE took over local real estate agency Eurisko in 2008.

Romania will allot EUR 15 million to hospitals this year for IT&C projects, according to Romanian Communications Minister Valerian Vreme.The Communications Ministry will spend as much as EUR 400,000 per hospital to outfit around 40 units, said Vreme.

BRD - Groupe Societe Generale posted a net profit of EUR 119 million last year, a drop of 36 percent on 2009, the bank has announced. The group's net profit, which also includes BRD Sogelease and BRD Finance, was 31 percent lower than in 2009.

Romania’s state-owned railway company CFR SA will close 20 percent of the country's railroad network, about 4,000 kilometers of railway lines, unless it finds investors to ensure their maintenance, reads the letter of intent agreed upon by the Government and the International Monetary Fund.

Polyurethane foam and hotmelt producer Den Braven Romania registered total sales of EUR 39.5 million in 2010, an increase of 28 percent compared to the sales recorded in 2009.

Romanian pharmaceutical producer Biofarm saw its net profit dropping by 26 percent last year, to EUR 3.45 million, according to preliminary financial data sent to the Bucharest Stock Exchange (symbol BIO), where the company is listed. Its operational profit was however up 22 percent compared to 2009, to EUR 3.9 million.

Aluminium producer Alro posted a preliminary net profit of USD 50.4 million last year, almost double on the previous year, the company has announced. Its turnover was of USD 570 million, up on the EUR 334 million posted the year before. The company paid a profit tax of EUR 7.9 million, while its other taxes amounted to EUR 19 million. RON 80 million.

Investors from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Oman, Kuweit and Qatar are interested in placing their money in Romania in sectors like agriculture, infrastructure and the financial sector, with a budget of minimum USD 20 million per project, according to Forum Invest, which will organize a business forum in this topic in Bucharest.

The Romanian gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 1.2 percent in 2010 from 2009, according to the National Institute of Statistics. According to the early estimations, the fourth-quarter GDP was by 0.1 percent higher than in Q3 of 2010 in real terms (seasonally adjusted data).

Era Shopping Park Oradea has signed the contract with a new anchor and plans to open the shopping mall phase of the retail project this autumn. The developers, Omilos Group, have signed the lease with clothing retailer Sprider Store, which will open a 850-sqm store in the shopping galleria. The new Sprider Stores unit will be opened mid-March.

ING has agreed to sell the majority of its ING Real Estate Investment Management business (ING REIM) in two separate transactions for a combined price of approximately USD 1 billion to CB Richard Ellis Group. Both ING REIM and CBRE are present on the Romanian market. ING REIM is present in Romania and owns the Felicia Shopping Center in Iasi. CBRE took over local real estate agency Eurisko in 2008.

Romania will allot EUR 15 million to hospitals this year for IT&C projects, according to Romanian Communications Minister Valerian Vreme.The Communications Ministry will spend as much as EUR 400,000 per hospital to outfit around 40 units, said Vreme.

BRD - Groupe Societe Generale posted a net profit of EUR 119 million last year, a drop of 36 percent on 2009, the bank has announced. The group's net profit, which also includes BRD Sogelease and BRD Finance, was 31 percent lower than in 2009.

Romania’s state-owned railway company CFR SA will close 20 percent of the country's railroad network, about 4,000 kilometers of railway lines, unless it finds investors to ensure their maintenance, reads the letter of intent agreed upon by the Government and the International Monetary Fund.

Polyurethane foam and hotmelt producer Den Braven Romania registered total sales of EUR 39.5 million in 2010, an increase of 28 percent compared to the sales recorded in 2009.