Support The Moscow Times!

Putin Wants Economic Growth Proposals by Next Month

President Vladimir Putin has said he expects a list of proposals for spurring the economy to be ready by the middle of next month.

The list must contain the often conflicting proposals that Cabinet ministers, Kremlin staff and economists put forward at a meeting Monday, Putin said.

He made the statement in a separate meeting later on Monday with his economic aide Elvira Nabiullina and First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, ordering them to refine the proposals so they reduce contention to a minimum.

"You and I will then get together for a more private meeting and will end this discussion so as to actually make practical changes in our current economic policy," Putin said, according to a transcript on the Kremlin website.

The Russian economy has showed signs of slowing down in recent months, leading the Economic Development Ministry to downgrade the anticipated growth of gross domestic product to 2.4 percent.

Some of the ways to give the economy a shot in the arm are rerouting federal money flows and taming lending rates, according to proposals voiced at the earlier meeting.

Economic Development Minister Andrei Belousov said after the meeting that the government was leaning toward slashing spending by state corporations. It intends to step up expenditures on health care, education and construction of roads and energy facilities, he said.

Putin said at the meeting that it was necessary to talk later about the profit margin and risks that banks factor into their lending rates. Eurozone banks charge much less for risks despite the greater turmoil in the European Union economy, he said.

The government could force the general rates down by fighting inflation and ordering the large banks it controls to reduce their appetite for profit.

“Of course, whatever the decisions are, they will be made exclusively in dialogue with the business community,” Putin said.

Oleg Vyugin, chairman of MDM Bank, said banks arrived at their lending rates by adding about 6 percent for the inflation rate, 3 percent for risks and at least 5 percent for profit margin.

Contact the author at medetsky@imedia.ru

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more