The investments made in the national economy increased in the first half of 2012 by 20 percent to some EUR 6.49 billion, compared with the same period last year. There was also an advance of 19.5 percent in the second trimester compared to April-June 2011, the National Institute of Statistics (INS) announced today (September 3).

In the second trimester  investments increased year-on-year on infrastructure elements, for machinery (including public transport), by 28 percent, and for new construction work by 17.7 percent, but decreased by 3.7 percent for costs.

“Compared to the second trimester in 2011, the second trimester in 2012 registered an increase of the weight of machinery (including vehicles) in total investment by 1.7 percentage points and in new construction by 0.2 percentage points. The share of investments in other expenses decreased by 1.9 percentage points," reads the INS statement.

The realized investments in new construction amounted in the first semester to EUR 3.35 billion, representing 51.7 percent of the total, compared to 51 percent in the first semester of 2011. The investments in machinery and vehicles amounted EUR 2.63 billion, representing 40.5 percent of the total, compared to 39.8 percent in the first half of last year.

Ioana Toader, ioana.toader@romania-insider.com