The primary impact of the conflict is seen by 62.7% of respondents in rising fuel prices, while almost one in five mentioned higher costs for products and services.
For companies, the impact is seen directly in costs: 75.8% of entrepreneurs anticipate higher operational costs and almost half of them expect higher prices for products and services. Over a quarter of companies consider reducing investments amid market uncertainty.
The chain reaction is also seen in market dynamics: 65.2% of respondents predict declining customer purchasing power and 43.9% anticipate lower sales volumes. Over half of companies foresee rising costs for raw materials and services used. Fuel price surges already have a direct impact on businesses: roughly 60% of entrepreneurs say profit will be affected and half of them believe companies will lose competitiveness.
Entrepreneurs urge the Romanian State to immediately step in and take measures: over 70% of them call for temporary fuel duty cuts and nearly half of them call for compensatory measures for significantly affected sectors, such as transport and agriculture.
On the short term, most companies are not planning to hire, with some considering layoffs and over 55% seeking to retain current staff despite market pressure.