Significant FDI up 12%

The value of foreign direct investment with a significant impact on the economy increased by 12% over the first six months of the year, compared with the same period last year, to reach 672 million dollars (546 million euros), according to data from the Romanian Foreign Investment Agency (ARIS). A number of 52 investment projects were submitted this year, compared with 36 in the first few months of last year, worth a total of 598 million dollars (482 million euros). June saw 13 project submissions, while investment came to 227 million dollars (184 million euros). The National Radio Communications Company, MobiFon and Holcim are the top three companies in terms of investment value. The main areas to which investment was directed were telecommunications (972 million dollars), services (537 million dollars) and trade (432 million dollars). These were followed by the energy industry (which received 431 million dollars in investment, machine building (324 million dollars), metallurgical industry (217 million dollars), and wood, cellulose and paper industry (285 million dollars). ZF