Overcoming the Financial Crisis
My opinion is that, after two years of significant declines in GDP, we’ll be approaching the end of the economic crisis late this year, mainly due to global economic recovery (I hope we are right this time, because we had the same expectation in early 2010).
Two were the internal factors that made this possible:
* the strong restructuring of the private sector during 2009-2010, which had as a negative effect the disappearance from the market of a large number of SMEs, a phenomenon that will continue in 2011. The restructuring also meant cost and price readjustment and sometimes the collapse and disappearance of unprofitable companies, but also an adjustment to more sustainable business models, all of these being positive connotations.
* restructuring the budget system, although made late and a bit shyly, it is going to finally show its benefits. Positive effects can be also sustained with a severe budgetary discipline, accompanied by the release of significant amounts for infrastructure investment and financing projects with EU funds.
We should not expect to feel a drop in pressure on companies during the second half of this year, especially if we take into consideration the fact that in the foreseeable future we are about to witness two negative effects, both of which can be exacerbated by possible shortfalls of the sovereign debt crisis in the euro area:
* increasing taxation due to the pressure put by the payment of external debt which has dramatically increased during the last two years;
* the expected increase in EURIBOR benchmark interest due to overcoming the financial crisis in the European economy.
The expected economic growth in Romania, over 1%, is way too optimistic mainly due to the dramatic decrease of consumption, which will increase with difficulty, being the main cause of a slow and sustained recovery of the Romanian economy.
The loan process will start to rise with the strengthening economy, the decrease of unemployment rate and the inevitable liquidation of underperforming loans that will be primarily made by smaller banks with bad portfolios. However, the Romanian banking system consolidation is inevitable.
The real estate industry will recover gradually, although constructions, except those in infrastructure, will continue to suffer from the lack of projects. The positive effects will be noticeable starting from 2012.
I consider the real estate market will experience further declines during the next six months, before reaching its lowest point, particularly for those economically and functionally impaired assets, of lower quality respectively. With this statement I want to temper the ultra-optimistic opinions sustained by some analysts, who have already seen an increase in real estate prices earlier this year.
The reviving of the real estate market will be felt in 2012 but growth levels comparable to those in 2006-2008 I do not think will be achieved again soon, within a predictable horizon of time.
Dr. ec. Adrian Crivii, MAA, REV, FRICS
