Agricultural Transformation and Implications for Designing Rural Financial Policies in Romania

In the context of Romania's macroeconomic and agricultural transformation, this paper analyses the current extent of the depth of rural finance and discusses the implications for the future development of rural financial markets in Romania. The overall agricultural support system is reviewed with particular emphasis on mechanisms of rural finance. The paper argues that building an efficient rural finance system that addresses the financial needs of private sector agriculture and the rural clientele requires a multi-level approach: Innovations are needed at the finance system level, involving, in particular, the creation of an effective regulatory and supervisory framework and making the National Bank of Romania (the central bank) independent of Government interference, at the level of financial organisations, in the processing and administration of financial services and in product design