Angela Freyre (Julius Baer) | Russia’s central bank slashed its benchmark interest rate to a post-Soviet low as the economy enters a deep recession fuelled by the fall in oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic. The bank lowered its key rate by 100 basis points to 4.5%, following a 50 basis-point cut in April.
Xavier Colás (Moscow) | Russia had a taste of democracy in the 1990s, and people’s needs increased. With the rouble’s brutal devaluation, the average Russian felt free, but at the same time associated this with huge economic decline. And now Russians prefer economic security to freedom.
Xavier Colás | Russia is hoping that in 2017 its economic indicators will look brighter again after three years of questions over the country’s economic health due to sanctions, rock-bottom oil prices and a rouble which has lost half of its value.
DUBLIN | By Sean Duffy | With fears surrounding the Eurozone, Russia and the BRICS economies, the only certainty about the year 2015 appears to be that it will continue a period of global economic uncertainty. The Corner takes a look at some of the issues and factors that are likely to dominate the headlines in the year ahead.
MADRID | By Ana Fuentes and Sean Duffy | Uncertainty surrounding the future impact of sanctions both at home and abroad has seen a mass exodus of capital from Russia this year. The Government has sought to address the issue by offering an amnesty to Russians with money stashed overseas. Over $100 billion has left the country in 2014 and Alexander Pechersky, a managing partner from ALT R&C, is sceptical about the impact this latest measure will have. “I don’t really believe in the efficiency of this amnesty. I think this is a measure for the media and to gain some headlines.”
MADRID | The Corner | The ruble plummeted on Monday, suffering its worst daily fall since Russia’s 1998 crisis, plunging more than 6% against the dollar before recovering to losses of around 4% Lowering oil prices are killing the currency, and yet Moscow does not intend to cut production in 2015, leaving output at the current 525-526 million metric tons. Russian analysts commenting for The Corner explained there is enough currency liquidity in the market to handle the shock. At least for now.