ANALYSIS OF FOREIGN PARTICIPATION IN THE SHARE CAPITAL OF COMPANIES FROM THE COUNTIES OF NORTH-WEST REGION OF ROMANIA

Abstract

Foreign investments represent a well known topic in the literature which has resulted from their economic, financial, technological, managerial and social contribution at the national and regional level of the receptive country. North-West region is part of the richer and more developed regions of Romania. Based on the statistical data provided by NTRO (2018, p.24), North-West region of Romania is ranked on the third position by the number of companies with foreign participation in the share capital and on the fourth position in terms of the value of the total subscribed capital in companies with foreign participation. The main objective of our study is to analyze the distribution of the number of registered companies with foreign participation in the share capital between the counties of North-West region of Romania and also to analyze the evolution of the value of subscribed capital in companies with foreign participation in the share capital within the counties of this region. We also analyzed the evolution of some selected indicators that we consider relevant for assessing the level of economic development of the counties located in North-West region of Romania. After pointing out the existing disparities in the level of development of the region’s counties, an important finding of our study is that there are major intra-regional disparities regarding both the value of subscribed capital and the number of registered companies with foreign participation in the share capital. There is a clear separation between the counties Cluj, Bihor and the rest of the region’s counties. Between 1991 and 2017, Cluj and Bihor counties attracted the largest number of foreign investors and recorded the highest values of the total subscribed capital in companies with foreign participation. At the opposite pole there are Bistriţa-Năsăud and Sălaj counties. This paper also provides a ranking of North-West region’s counties according to the two aspects regarding foreign participation, subject to analysis, i.e. the number of registered companies with foreign participation in the share capital and the value of subscribed capital.