Access Investments-European Union- ROMANIA

A decision of the National Bank of Romania to cut the minimum foreign reserve requirements ratio on foreign currency-denominated liabilities from 25% to 20%, thereby releasing over one billion euros to the private sector banks suprized all. This is a signal encouraging lending and indirectly the economy. Foreign currency-denominated loans are seen as an alternative to support investments and real estate acquisitions. "We see the NBR's decision as an attempt to prop up economic growth amid inflationary pressures limiting the possibility of cutting the key interest rate," comments Eugen Sinca, analyst with the BCR. The NBR has kept its key interest rate at 6.25% a year, which has remained unchanged since May last year. Florian Libocor, chief economist of the BRD, believes the central bank is trying to send a positive message to the private economy. Volksbank believes that the banks will be stimulated this way, to become more aggressive when it comes to lending and will lower their interest rates. Another possible interpretation would be that the NBR is paving the way to a new foreign-currency bond issue by the Romanian Ministry of Finance, as it did in 2009.