The Fund also raised estimates on inflation for 2010, from 3.6 to 4 percent, but the average advance of consumer prices could temper at 3.1 percent in 2011.
As to the current account deficit, IMF anticipates a 5.5 percent level for Romania in 2010 and 2011, slightly below the 5.6 percent level estimated in the previous report from October 2009.
The new estimates will be tackled by the local authorities with the IMF mission which will come in Romania between April 27 and May 7.
After this revisions, IMF will analyze the possibility to accept a budget deficit higher than 5.9 percent of the GDP for Romania at year-end, the country's representative at IMF, Mihai Tanasescu, told NewsIn.
The official mentioned it is very important for the country to maintain a downtrend of the budget gap even if it narrows slightly, as it is an important signal for the external markets' perception.
He underlined its been a year since Romania started the accord with IMF and that the Fund's representatives showed a strong adaptability to the economic realities. However, he stressed any discussion on increasing the budget deficit target should be initiated if Romania continues the structural reforms.
Romania promised through the financing accord with IMF to meet a budget deficit target of 8.25 billion lei in the first quarter and to report current primary expenses of the consolidated budget below 32.9 billion lei, as the incomes sponged in the first three months are estimated at 37.8 billion lei.
Romania inked last year a financing package of almost 20 billion euros with IMF, the European Union, World Bank and other financial institutions, to face the financial crisis.
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