Minister: Romania's Start-Up Nation program will continue with EUR 440 mln budget this year
<p>The Start-Up Nation program, which aims to stimulate entrepreneurship in Romania through grants, will continue this year with a budget of over EUR 440 million from European funds, minister of economy, entrepreneurship and tourism, Ștefan-Radu Oprea, said on Tuesday, July 16.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"I think an emergency ordinance will be passed at the first government meeting," he added.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The minister also said that another state-backed program, one aimed at helping women entrepreneurs, is expected to start at the end of July. The authorities are currently working on the technical platform for applications.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Romania's economic development must be based on investments, salary increases, and consumption growth, minister Oprea commented.</p>

<p>"Geography is Romania's friend. In this period, we are no longer a country on the border of the European Union; we are a country on the front line, where there is effervescence (...) And I like to quote from The Economist, which says that in the next 7 - 8 years, Romania will have the highest economic growth in the European Union," he said, quoted by <a href="https://www.agerpres.ro/economic-intern/2024/07/16/oprea-buget-de-440-milioane-de-euro-la-start-up-nation-in-2024-programul-femei-antreprenor-ar-putea-debuta-pe-30-iulie--1328122?mc_cid=a8f7704823&amp;mc_eid=cd1f92f96c" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Agerpres</a>.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In the minister's view, Romania's exports could reach the value of EUR 100 billion this year, up from EUR 93 bln in 2023.</p>

<p><em>andrei@romania-insider.com</em></p>

<p><em>(Photo source: Inquam Photos/George Calin)</em></p>