• At the beginning of each year, the General Assembly of ROMPAN takes place. Approximately 100 representatives of ROMPAN member companies met on March 28, 2024, at the International Hotel in Sinaia to discuss current topics for the milling, baking and pasta sector in Romania.
On the agenda of the event were: the activity report for the year 2023; Execution of the income and expenditure budget for the year 2023; Censor's report; The project of the activity program for the year 2024; Approval of the income and expenditure budget for the year 2024; Receiving new members; Analyzing and approving proposals to exclude commercial companies from patronage; Current issues facing the profile industry, such as legislative issues, accessing European funds, price caps and reducing food waste.
The meeting was chaired by Mr. Aurel Popescu, the President BREAKING, seconded by the vice-presidents Mr. Virgil Pavel and Mrs. Daniela Voica, and among the special guests of the event were: Aurel Simion, Secretary of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ioan Oleleu, Vice President ANSVSA, Alina Mihaela Toma, President – Director General of the Agricultural Credit Guarantee Fund, Victoria Balaban from ANPC, Dragoș Frumosu, President SYNDICATION.
Official data for 2023
From the data presented by the ROMPAN management, for the year 2023 the number of employees in the food industry was 152.000, and for the milling and baking industry 45.000, the average wage level being below that recorded by other industries.
The consumption for the main products of the milling, bakery and flour products industry in 2023 per capita was 74 kg of bread and bakery products, 2,5 kg of pasta, 4,3 kg of biscuits and 15 kg of pastries and sweets.
Following the analysis of the various studies carried out and the statistical data provided by INS, the production achieved in 2023 was as follows:
• Bread and pastries - about 1.440.000 tons, according to the study and 748.514 according to the INS;
• Flour – 1.250.00 tons, according to the study and 1.000.739 tons, according to INS.
Sector of major importance in the economy
Aurel Popescu, the President of ROMPAN, emphasized the involvement of the organization he leads in the development of most of the normative acts that concerned the food industry and especially the milling and baking sector, reviewing these normative acts and the result of ROMPAN's intervention with the state authorities, such as the Ordinance 154, by which, for the first time, milling units benefited from a subsidy, Ordinance 54 on the establishment of a reaction mechanism with regard to imports from Ukraine, Ordinance 67 on the establishment of a measure to combat the excessive increase in prices of some agricultural and food products or INVESTALIM.
The negative impact produced by the legislative changes in 2023 on the sector was not overlooked either. Thus, large companies, with a turnover of over 50 million euros, were obliged to pay a tax of 1% on the turnover, if the profit tax (of 16%) is lower. The obligation to pay CASS for workers in the food industry, the additional taxation of meal vouchers, the increase of VAT from 9% to 19% on foods with added sugar, whose total sugar content is at least 10g/100g product, were also discussed – other than cake and biscuits – capping energy and gas prices at too high a level, capping commercial additives to flour, sorghum, white bread, cake and yeast.
Development of ROMPAN activity through various projects
Ms. Vice President Daniela Voica presented, during the event held in Sinaia, the actions that the organization she is part of carries out, actions aimed at supporting ROMPAN members. The projects are carried out with the help of both national and European funds, focusing on three main directions: the development of the research side, continuous training of the staff and exchanges of best practices with partner organizations from other countries.
Mister. vice-president Virgil Pavel reviewed the activity program proposed by ROMPAN for the current year, including the continuous and correct information of the members of the patronage regarding the news in the industry, the projects of normative acts that appear, the collaboration with the authorities and the collaboration with other patronages outside the country.
The main theme of the dialogue between the state authorities and industry representatives concerned the controls and verifications carried out by the competent bodies in the last period on the economic agents. "We would like the prevention act to be more present. Let's work in such a way that there is better collaboration." proposed Mr. Aurel Popescu, who also drew attention to the presence of the local police in the controlled factories. At the same time, naming the workers in the industry "miners in white", Aurel Popescu emphasized the weight of the task of continuously providing the basic food of the population and requested a respect commensurate with the effort made by them.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
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