Servtrans, one of the leading private players on the rail freight market, could take part in the privatisation of CFR Marfa (the national rail freight operator) in an international consortium, after its involvement in the privatisation of the Hungarian operator MAV Cargo. "I think CFR Marfa is worth around 2 billion euros, but I don't believe a Romanian company could handle this independently. However, we do not rule out the possibility of being associates in an international consortium," said George Buruiana, general manager of Servtrans. Servtrans is controlled by businessman Cristian Burci through International Railway Systems, which is also the owner of rolling stock manufacturers Romvag Caracal, Astra Vagoane Arad and Meva Mehedinti.

The majority of top-ranking banks on the Romanian market have started to utilise their branch networks for the distribution of mandatory private pensions (the 2nd pillar). Some banks broker sales for their own pension companies, while others sell for one or more partners, however, the bottom line is that banks have started to capitalise on their main advantage in the private pensions business: their extensive territorial network. No less than 12 local banks have become involved in the distribution of private pensions. In fact, at the top of the list are two of Romania's largest banks - BCR and BRD SocGen - each of them brokering these products for their own voluntary pensions management company.

Baneasa Developments, a company controlled by businessman Puiu Popoviciu, one of the most powerful real estate developers in Romania, will build an approximately 50,000 square-metre mall in the centre of the Capital, on an already acquired plot. Baneasa Developments is also developing the commercial area (Baneasa project) in the North of the Capital, which is attracting investments worth 1.8 billion euros. The project in the centre of Bucharest will be the third mall developed by the group of firms controlled by businessman Puiu Popoviciu, after Baneasa Shopping City, an investment worth 150 million euros, and the shopping centre planned on the site of the current Obor square, a project with an estimated value of around 120 million euros.

French retailer Carrefour posted sales worth almost 200 million euros in the third quarter of this year, up 36% against the same time in 2006, after its network expanded by two stores. The company's turnover stood at around 560 million euros in the first nine months of the year and registered an approximately 40% rise against the same period in 2006, according to data previously provided by the French group. Therefore, the results obtained by the French group in the January-September period on the Romanian market are almost equal to turnover reported in 2006. The increase comes after the launch of two stores in the September 2006 - September 2007 period - a hypermarket in the Tom shopping centre in Constanta and a store taken over from the former Univers'All network, located in the centre of the Capital.