Export
PRAN-RFL group wins six trophies for its export prowess
PRAN-RFL Group has secured the highest national export trophies for its outstanding contribution to export segment for FY 2018-19.
This business giant received six trophies, including gold, out of the 71 companies nominated for the trophies, from the Commerce Ministry for exporting agro processing, plastic goods and light engineering sectors.
Though this group secured five export trophies in 2016-17 and 2017-18, each, this time they broke its own record and got the highest six trophies.
Read more: PRAN-RFL targets $2 billion export by 2030
Moreover, the concerned Commerce Ministry awarded export trophy to the Group as the highest exporter for the last 18 consecutive years.
Minister for Commerce Tipu Munshi awarded the trophies among the winning organisations at a function at Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Center in Purbachal on Tuesday, as chief guest.
Ahsan Khan Chowdhury, chairman and CEO of PRAN-RFL Group, received the award on behalf of PRAN Dairy while Uzma Chowdhury, director (corporate finance) at the group and Eleash Mridha, managing director of PRAN Group received the award on behalf of PRAN Agro and PRAN Foods respectively.
Therefore, RN Paul, managing director of RFL group received the award on behalf of Rangpur Metal and Toukirul Islam, executive director of Durable Plastic and Mohammad Kazi Abdul Quiyum, executive director of Banga Plastic International received the award on behalf their organizations.
PRAN-RFL Group, the country’s leading food manufacturer and exporter, started exporting its products to France in 1997. At present, the group is exporting it wide range of products to 145 countries in the globe.
Read more: Pran-RFL launches food delivery service Foodano
PRAN-RFL has a big market in India and Middle East countries and also available in Africa, Europe and North & South America region.
Fish scales: A promising new item to diversify exports
Fish traders in Jashore have started to earn much needed foreign currency by selling fish scales.
Fish scales are sold at a rate of Tk 15 a kg in the fish markets of the district. After some processing, these residual parts of fishes are exported to many south-east Asian countries including China and Japan.
According to Export Promotion Bureau statistics, Bangladesh exports fish scales worth Tk 200 crore every year. Fish scales are used to produce batteries, electrical products, artificial cornea and bones, medicines, fish and poultry feed and various cosmetics items.
Visiting many fish markets in Jashore, UNB found fish scales in high demand. Besides charging Tk 10 for cutting a 1kg fish, fish cutters of Jashore earn Tk 20,000 extra per month by selling the scales.
“Not only scales but we also sell fish galls. Galls are used to produce fish feed, while gills of fishes are used to make soups after drying,” said Md Jahid, a fish cutter.
Read more: Bagerhat's Dublar Char abuzz as fish drying season begins Bagerhat's Dublar Char abuzz as fish drying season begins
Md Bablu is a warehouse owner who collects fish scales from various fish markets of Jashore on a daily basis. Talking to UNB, Bablu said that he sells fish scales to traders in Chattogram, who then export the item to other countries.
“I sell fish scales at a rate of Tk 2500 to Tk 3000 per maund (1 maund = approx. 40kg). The business was first started by a Dhaka-based trader named Shamsul Alam. Fish scales contain chemical components like collagen fibre and amino acid, which are necessary to produce cosmetics items and medicines,” said Bablu.
After talking to some traders, UNB learned the process by which fish scales are prepared for selling.
First, fish scales are collected and washed in clean or warm water to get rid of oily substances. After washing, wet scales are dried in the open to make them crispy.
Some people grind the scales in mixers and sell them as powder.
Prices of fish scales vary according to the type and size of fish from which they come. Scales of big fish are sold at high rates, while those of small fish like shrimp are sold at a different rate. Besides, the prices of fish galls and gills are also different from the prices of scales.
According to Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority, only 10-12 traders are involved in exporting fish scales. However, around 5,000 people are directly involved with the trade. A total of 2,500 tons of fish scales are exported every year, which brings home foreign currencies worth Tk 200 crore.
Read more: Cox’s Bazar fishermen rejoice as Bay swarms with Hilsa
Fish scale traders said that their business has the potential to grow more if they receive priority and focus from the government.
“I’ll talk to the respective authorities so that fish scale business can be expanded,” said Tamijul Islam Khan, Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Jashore.
Bangladesh to seek duty cut on exports to growing Russian market: Shahriar
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam has said Bangladesh would seek a duty cut on its exports to the Russian market during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s upcoming visit in addition to seeking Russia’s support to resolve the Rohingya crisis and strengthen energy cooperation.
“Russia is gradually becoming a big market (for Bangladesh). Duty is the biggest impediment to enhancing trade. So Far I know there is still a 35 percent duty for shipments to Russia,” he said.
The State Minister, while talking to a small group of reporters at his office on Thursday, also talked about Bangladesh’s trade-related discussion with the Eurasian countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia. “We hope Russia will help us as a big player.”
He said the Russian Foreign Minister will be here on a brief visit but they are working really hard to maximize his stay in Dhaka.
The Russian Foreign Minister is coming to Bangladesh on November 23 mainly to attend the 22nd IORA Council of Ministers (COM) meeting to be held in Dhaka on November 24.
Russia is a dialogue partner of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) while Bangladesh is the current chair of IORA.
Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen recently hinted that considering the current situation, Bangladesh will explore the possibility of cooperation in the energy sector with Russia during Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s planned official visit here.
Bangladesh will also discuss food grains supply and quick implementation of the projects that are in the pipeline including the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
The Russian Foreign Minister will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina apart from his bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen.
The visit will give us an opportunity to highlight our challenges and priority issues with Russia, Foreign Secretary Masud told reporters on Sunday.
Read more: Bangladesh abstains in UNGA vote calling on Russia to pay reparations
Masud also said Bangladesh wants Russia closer to Bangladesh to find a solution to the Rohingya crisis.
The Foreign Secretary, however, said there are still many days and reminded that Russia remains in an intensive situation.
"The invitation to take part in the IORA meeting for Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergey Lavrov has been received and the work is on as regards the possibility of this visit," an official at the Russian Embassy in Dhaka told UNB.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Momen invited his Russian counterpart to attend the 22nd IORA Council of Ministers (COM) meeting to be held in Dhaka on November 24.
Momen met his Russian counterpart last month in Astana, Kazakhstan on the sidelines of the CICA Summit and apprised him of the current situation of the Rohingya. He stressed the need for stronger international support for resolving the Rohingya crisis.
In August, Sergey Lavrov met with his counterpart Wunna Maung Lwin and other top Myanmar officials in Naypyitaw.
Read more:Despite differences, the G-20 summit ends with a condemnation of Russia
Commercial production of Vannamei variety can bring back golden days of shrimp export
Shrimp once held the second spot in top export goods from Bangladesh but in the last few years it failed to hold up against the growing competition and fell down to seventh.
Traders and exporters involved in frozen shrimp export have been demanding approval for commercial production of Vannamei Shrimps in Bangladesh instead of Freshwater Prawns (Golda Shrimp) and Tiger Prawns (Bagda) as its export to European and American markets can bring back the golden days of shrimp export.
Fourteen of the 15 countries that cultivate shrimps in Asia and export to Europe, USA and other large importers have already been commercially producing Vannamei Shrimp and exporting it while Bangladesh lags far behind, SM Humayun Kabir President of Bangladesh Frozen food Exporters Association told UNB.
Also read: Virus cripples Satkhira shrimp sector; farmers counting huge losses
Country’s export figure of shrimp from Fiscal Year 2013-14 to 2020-21 shows a steady decline.
In FY 2013-14 Bangladesh earned USD550 million by exporting shrimp, in FY 2017-18 it came down to USD 409 million, and finally in FY 2020-21 it came down to 329 USD million, according to the data of Fisheries Department and Export Promotion Bureau.
How Vannamei can replace Bagda and Golda?
Currently, there are 105 approved frozen food processing factories in Bangladesh but only 60 of them are operating due to the struggle for the shortage of raw materials.
Also read: Climate change: Shrimp farming endangered in Khulna
In Bangladesh, 2, 58,000 hectares of land are used for shrimp farming where 300 to 400 kg of Golda and Bagda shrimps per hectare are produced in 160 days.
But as the Golda and Bagda shrimps cannot be produced in any land more than twice a year the production cost of these shrimps becomes very high.
Comparatively high-yielding Vannamei Shrimp, with low production cost and easy availability, has been dominating the global market while Bangladesh’s shrimp industry suffers.
Read More: Shrimp farmers in Bagerhat stare at starvation
Recently, the Fisheries Department has given conditional approval to conduct two pilot projects for harvesting Vannamei Shrimp on 10 acres of land.
According to project results, in just 110 days 10 to 15 MT of Vannamei shrimp can be produced per hectares of land which is quite high compared to 300-400 Kg of Bagda and Golda shrimp production in 160 days, said Prafulla Kumar Roy, owner Jagannath Balaram Subhadra hatchery contracted for the pilot project.
Vannamei Shrimp can also be produced thrice in the same land in one year, he said.
Read More: Chandpur: Coast Guard seizes 1MT shrimps inflated with jelly
Shyamal Kumar Das, another owner of hatchery under the project said if the experimental initiative taken by the Fisheries Department to commercialise Vannamei shrimp production is implemented, it will be possible to produce four to six lakh MTs of shrimp like Bangladesh and India within the next five years.
President of Bangladesh Frozen Food Exporters Association SM Humayun Kabir said, commercial production and export of Vanami shrimp can earn 3 to 4 billion US dollars revenue and it will help Bangladesh regain its position in the global shrimp market.
Khodeza Begum, a housewife who came to Gallamari market of Khulna to buy shrimp said Vanamei shrimps are cheap and delicious.
Read More: Vannamei Shrimp pilot project shows commercial potential
Rabiul Sheikh, a fish seller said that the demand for this shrimp was low in the beginning, but it is increasing day by day.
Prasenjit, who looks after Vannamei shrimp farming pilot project, said that harvesting of this shrimp does not have any adverse impact on nature rather vegetables can be cultivated around the shrimp enclosure.
According to the pilot project data, 77 percent of the world’s shrimp market is occupied by Vannamei Shrimp. As production of this fish isn’t widespread in Bangladesh, the country has to compete for 23 percent of market share through exporting Freshwater Prawn (Golda Shrimp) and Tiger Prawn (Bagda) shrimp.
Read More: Satkhira flood washes away Tk8.28 crore worth of fish, crab, shrimp.
PM calls for raising farm products to boost foreign revenue income
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday called for boosting the country’s farm products to help diversify the export basket and earn more in foreign exchange.
“I think agricultural products can play a vital role in diversifying export basket. We must not be dependent on one or two export items only,” she said.
The prime minister said this while addressing a programme organized at Osmani Memorial Auditorium to distribute Bangabandhu National Agriculture Award among 44 individuals and organisations for the Bangla years of 1425 (2018) and 1426 (2019).
She joined the event virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban.
The award recognises the outstanding contributions of the recipients in the development of the country’s agriculture.
PM Hasina said that her government has been working hard to increase the agricultural products with the twin objectives of making the country self-reliant and raising the exports.
“We should always keep this in mind. We will stand on our own feet by reducing dependence on import,” she said.
Read: Save money, produce food to face tough days ahead: PM
Agriculture Minister Muhammad Abdur Razzaque, Fisheries and Livestock Minister SM Rezaul Karim, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture Ministry Matia Chowdhury and Agriculture Secretary Md Sayedul Islam also spoke at the programme.
Sharmin Akhter spoke on behalf of the awardees.
A documentary on the development of the agriculture in Bangladesh was screened at the programme.
EU’s proposed carbon tariff may affect Bangladesh’s exports
Experts say that the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) through supply chain regulations and trade measures would be a game changer in tackling emissions.
The EU is set to introduce the CBAM, which in effect will make use of trade policy in an unprecedented manner to tackle carbon emissions, they said.
Dr Mohammad Abdur Razzaque, Chairman of Research and Policy Integration for Development (RAPID), told UNB the EU has been maintaining an emission trading system (ETS) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions of high carbon-emitting sectors.
Also read: Power Division, USAID sign agreement to cut carbon emissions.
Carbon price under the EU-ETS reached a record high at EUR 98 per tonne of CO2 on 18 August 2022. Since then it has somewhat fallen and fluctuates around EUR 70, which will be effective in trade in the EU market after 2026, he said.
Dr Razzaque, also an international trade expert, said the embedded carbon content in imports will be priced equivalent to the price of CO2 faced by EU domestic firms under ETS.
The transition phase is 2023-2025 -in this period importers will have to report emissions embedded in their goods without paying any charge, he pointed out.
Also read: IFC-led PaCT helped factories cut carbon and water footprints: BGMEA
The EU and EU parliament is working on such regulation to bring about execution by 2026, which may be shifted to 2027. Once in operation, the importers will have to pay for embedded emissions, buying CBAM certificates, Dr Razzaque said.
If a non-EU exporter establishes a carbon market, the corresponding cost will be deducted from total CBAM charges, he said.
According to the European Commission, the CBAM will initially apply only to a select number of goods at a high risk of carbon leakage, viz., cement, iron and steel, aluminum, fertilizers, and electricity, and will be operational from January 2023, said Md Jillur Rahman, Assistant Professor, Economics Department, Jagannath University.
Read Summit, JERA to collaborate for developing a carbon neutral roadmap
He said that both the European Council and Parliament have adopted their positions on the Commission's proposal for a CBAM.
“The European Parliament proposes a gradual implementation of the CBAM beginning in 2027, and full implementation beginning in 2032 when the free allowances are completely phased out,” Jillur added, who is doing research on CBAM.
The Parliament proposes to broaden the scope of sectoral coverage to include organic chemicals, plastics, hydrogen, and ammonia. Gradually the coverage should be extended to cover all sectors under the EU ETS, he said.
Read MVCs' CSOs demand end to carbon emission instead of 'net-zero' target
Jillur said, the European Parliament, Council, and Commission will now engage in a trialogue (three-way dialogue) and discuss the differing viewpoints of the three institutions. The political process may be completed by the end of 2022 to adopt the final CBAM regulation for the Union.
Professor Abu Eusuf, department of development studies, Dhaka University, said many countries, including India, Vietnam, and China are taking measures to reduce carbon emissions to address the negative impact of climate change in line with the Paris Agreement.
“Bangladesh in its updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) commits to unconditionally reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6.73 percent (27.56 MtCO2e) from the business-as-usual scenario by 2030,” he said.
Read Climate change to ultimately cost $100,000 per ton of carbon
Prof Eusuf said that subject to technology and know-how transfer, and finance and investment support from the international community, Bangladesh intends to reduce GHS emissions by an additional 15.12 percent (61.9 MtCO2e).
“Bangladesh’s NDC commitments and actions for reducing carbon emissions appear to be much less ambitious compared to other comparable countries. China commits to reducing carbon dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 60 to 65 percent (from the 2005 level) by 2030, while India intends to do the same from 33 to 35 percent,” he added.
The experts said Bangladesh’s major competitors have either already established or are in the process of developing carbon markets locally.
Read Environmental degradation is a burning issue, but its impact is not yet measured: Statistics Secretary
China launched its carbon market in 2021; Vietnam and India are in the process of establishing their internal carbon market. Vietnam wants to formally launch its carbon market in 2028.
The 8th Five Year Plan of Bangladesh aims to introduce green taxation on the consumption of fossil fuels, but it is not clear yet how this will be implemented.
However, no progress has been made so far. Therefore, the CBAM can disproportionately affect Bangladesh relative to other competitors.
Read Govt committed to protect ozone layer: Environment Minister
Target $100 bn export earnings by 2026: Commerce Minister
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi has said there is no alternative to increasing exports to maintain a strong foundation for the country's economy.
The Government of Bangladesh has therefore set an ambitious target of hitting $80 billion in exports by 2024, and $100 billion by 2026 and is working accordingly, he disclosed.
This would effectively require exports to double in just four years, given that the country's earnings in this sector breached the $50 billion mark for the first time in the recently concluded 2021-22 fiscal.
Read Bangladesh’s apparel export to cross $100 bn by 2030: experts
It can be instructive to note that the doubling from $25 billion to $50 billion took some 11 years - the country earned $25 billion in exports for the first time in 2010-11 fiscal.
Tipu Munshi was speaking as the chief guest at a ‘Meet the Press’ program organised by the Overseas Correspondents Association of Bangladesh (OCAB), held at the Akram Khan Auditorium of the National Press Club on Saturday.
The commerce minister said that Bangladesh will get the currently available facilities and preferences as an LDC till 2029, i.e. for three years after graduation in 2026.
Read Bangladesh’s exports worth $4.60bn in Aug, up by 36.18%: EPB data
“We have to survive in trade competition with the developed countries then, so the government is working to develop the capacity of different sectors along with export diversification,” the minister said. At present, the readymade garments sector alone contributes about 82 percent of total exports.
"So special initiatives have been taken to increase the exports of about 10 sectors including ICT, leather, plastic, light engineering, and jute to achieve the target," he said.
“We have more potential to increase export of readymade garments as Myanmar’s garment sector almost closed and China's garment industry is relocating,” he added.
Also read: Like Singapore, Bangladeshi traders can now buy goods and export directly to third countries
As a result, opportunities have been created for Bangladesh with its huge reserve of 'skilled' - for the RMG sector at least - manpower and low cost of production, mainly due to the cheapest labour money can buy anywhere in the world.
On the other hand, the new generation of factories in the thriving sector has given Bangladesh the highest number of environmentally-friendly 'green factories' in the world, which also keeps the country ahead in trade competition, Tipu said.
“Our trade gap with China and India is highest due to import of industrial machinery and raw materials. China has granted duty-free facilities to 99 percent of its exports to reduce trade barriers. Bangladesh is working towards a SEPA agreement with India to reduce the trade gap," the minister also said.
Also read: Trade deficit in FY 2021-22 is $21,528.74 million: Commerce Minister
In response to a query, Tipu Munshi said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's recent visit to India was successful. India has agreed to provide free transit facilities by road with Bhutan and Nepal.
"There are increasing opportunities for trade and commerce with India by road, sea, and air, communications is improving a lot, 7 agreements have been signed in this tour. By which both Bangladesh and India will benefit a lot.” He added.
Convener of Overseas Correspondents Kadir Kallol, Member-Secretary Nazrul Islam Mithu, and UNB editor senior journalists Farid Hossain were present at the function.
Read All export-oriented industries should get equal facilities: Salman F Rahman
Like Singapore, Bangladeshi traders can now buy goods and export directly to third countries
Bangladesh Bank has announced a ‘Merchandise Trade’ policy to diversify exports.
From now on, like Hong Kong and Singapore, traders can buy goods or services from another country and export them to third countries.
Foreign Exchange Policy Department of Bangladesh Bank issued a circular in this regard and sent it to the authorized dealers for immediate execution on Wednesday.
Read MCCI-PRI for raising EDF to $10 billion to achieve $80 billion export target
The central bank circular stated, “In accordance with export policy in force, a trade for which goods or services procured from a country, are shipped or delivered directly to a third country is defined as ‘merchandising trade’. To facilitate transactional services by ADs to their ‘merchandising, trade’ customers, it has been decided to formulate a set of operational guidelines.”
This type of business is gaining popularity worldwide. Specific policies in this regard were necessary for Bangladesh. Due to the new policy, export trade will expand. Now traders from countries like Hong Kong, and Singapore can do business. It will earn a lot of foreign currency.
According to the policy, ‘merchandising, trade’ is defined as ‘procurement of goods and services, from another country and shipment of goods and services from that country directly to buyers in a third country’.
Read Bangladesh’s apparel export to cross $100 bn by 2030: experts
According to the circular, the EXP form will not be required for export activities under merchandising trade. Similarly, the IMP form applicable to imports will not be required in the case of procurement of goods from different countries.
Import expenses can be met with income from foreign sources. At the same time, the possibility of meeting import expenses under buyers' credit received from abroad has been kept in the circular. However, in this case, the bank cannot guarantee payment.
The circular directed that there should be a sufficient margin for local expenditure and profit after meeting liabilities from export earnings.
Read All export-oriented industries should get equal facilities: Salman F Rahman
Bangladesh’s apparel export to cross $100 bn by 2030: experts
Bangladesh’s apparel export will cross the $100-billion target by 2030, considering the potentials of the markets in Europe, the Uk, and the USA amid declining share of Chinese garments, experts have said.
The global apparel market size will be around $1135 billion in 2030. During this period Bangladeshi apparel exporters expect to get at least 10 per cent or $100 billion of the global market share.
The current global apparel market volume is around $560 billion, where Bangladesh’s export share was $43 billion in FY 2021-22, up by 36 per cent year-on-year (July to June).
Read: Uniform rate: Tk 108/dollar max for remittance, Tk 99/dollar for export income from tomorrow
The apparel export saw a good start in FY 2022-23 with July-August earnings reaching $7.11 billion, posting 26 per cent growth compared to the same period of last fiscal year, said Faruque Hassan, president of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
International trade expert Dr Mohammad Abdur Razzaque told UNB that Europe and the USA are the potentially growing markets for Bangladesh’s apparel products.
Bangladesh has an additional export potential of $20 billion in the EU and the UK, he said adding that currently the country can utilise less than 60 per cent of its export potentials to these markets.
Read BGMEA for shoring up Bangladesh-India interactions in apparel, textile
Razzaque, who is also chairman of RAPID, a think tank, quoted a recent report in this regard.
In order to reach $100 billion target the country has to achieve an annual export growth of 11.45 per cent.
As Chines apparel export share is declining in the western market due to rising tension between the West and China, Bangladeshi exporters are likely to take advantage of the situation to boost their products, he opined.
China is moving away from low-value-added apparel to more sophisticated items, this can be an advantage for Bangladeshi apparel exporters, he said.
Also read: BGMEA, Eswatini for investment in apparel, textile joint ventures
The EU apparel market size is $200 billion while the US market is $90 billion to $100 billion. The Chinese market is around $11 billion while the Indian market is 1.1 billion, so Bangladesh has to expand its export share in the EU and US markets by 12 per cent and 15 per cent respectively, Razzaque suggested.
In 2030, Bangladesh’s export share in the EU market would have been $65 billion and $24 billion in the US market, which is achievable considering the resilience of the country despite Covid-19 pandemic.
In the post-Covid-19 pandemic period apparel export volume of the country is showing upward trends due to the resilience of the country’s people, said Md Jillur Rahman, assistant professor of Economics at Jagannath University.
Read Bangladesh to retain fame as safe, sustainable apparel sourcing destination: BGMEA
He said Bangladesh’s apparel export to the EU market grew by 59.5 per cent in the January to June period of 2022.
It shows the prospects of Bangladesh's growing apparel export to the EU market, he said.
Dr Razzaque, however, cautioned that achieving $100 billion export target of Bangladesh’s apparel industry will not be cake walk. Logistic facility, port handling capacity and skilled labour, environment and labour rights will be burning issues.
Bangladesh must focus on AI-developed equipment skilled labor and labor wage satisfaction to face the challenges in the coming years.
Read 'Electronics exports to overtake apparel'
Walton expands TV business in Georgia
Bangladesh's Walton has expanded its business in the eastern European country Georgia by exporting smart TVs.
The company hopes that the export will pave the way for expanding its TV business in other eastern European countries like Armenia and Azerbaijan.
Also read: Walton TV gets good response in Romania
Samin Yasar, the market in-charge of Walton Global Business Division in Georgia, said: "This year, a famous Georgian electronics marketing company has partnered with us to distribute Walton TVs to its market. In June this year, the Georgian company received the first shipment of Walton TVs. The second shipment of Walton TVs will be sent to Georgia very soon."
"Also, Walton TVs are now available on Georgia's e-commerce platforms."
Read Walton TV gets good response in Romania
Syed Al Imran, vice-president of Walton Global Business Division for Europe, said: "Walton started exporting TVs to the European market in 2019. Since then, it has successfully expanded its TV export to around 16 countries in western and central Europe, including Germany, Denmark, Ireland, Poland, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Italy, and Romania."