"The pandemic will lead to economic downturn"

RADIO ROMANIA NEWS - The Secretary General of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Mathias Cormann, stated today in Bucharest that Romania has done well in the last decade, but there are still areas where more work is needed.

The OECD leader came to Bucharest after the organization he leads recently decided to start accession negotiations with Romania.

Mathias Cormann participated in the Victoria Palace, at the launch of a Study on the economic situation of our country.

According to this document, productivity growth has been impressive in Romania, but has slowed in the last decade.

Participation in adult education is very low, despite the rapid changes in the needs of the labor market - the study also shows.

The presented report shows the firm commitment of Romania regarding the accession to the organization - said in his turn the Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca.

Andrei Serban has details: The Secretary of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Mathias Cormann, stressed that Romania has developed well in recent decades in terms of economics, improving the living standards of the population and environmental protection. However, there are some short-term risks, such as pandemic waves, which are found in Romania with a low vaccination rate and, in the long run, the problems of better access to European funds, aging population and difficult access to education, especially for disadvantaged categories - said Mathias Cormann.

Mathias Cormann: “In the short term, the biggest risk in Romania, as in other countries in the world, is the following pandemic waves of COVID-19. In Romania, the risk is higher, because here the vaccination rate is relatively low. The pandemic will lead to economic downturn and that is why I am telling people to get vaccinated, because it is important for their own health, for their communities, and can lead to them benefiting from economic opportunities at national level.”

In his turn, Prime Minister Nicolae Ciuca said that Romania's accession to this organization is as important as the accessions to NATO and the European Union.

Nicolae Ciuca: “It is the first political objective of our government, which is achieved in a short period of time since taking office. The OECD brings together 70% of world trade and production and 90% of foreign direct investment through its member states. It represents a pole of attractiveness for any investor of high caliber and implies, through the prestige it enjoys, political, economic and financial benefits."

Nicolae Ciuca also mentioned that Romania's ultimate goal is to join the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, for the development of its own economy and for the benefit of the citizen."

Translated by: Radu Matei