RUSSIAN ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENTS

FOR WEEK ENDING JANUARY 14, 2000

 

19 JAN 00

SOURCE: US EMBASSY MOSCOW

 

----------------------------

FINANCIAL MARKET INDICATORS

---------------------------

 

1. FINANCIAL MARKET TRENDS

 

THE STOCK MARKET CONTINUED TO HIT NEW HIGHS IN THE

BEGINNING OF 2000.  RTS INDEX REACHED THE LEVELS OF

JUNE 1998 IN REAL TERMS ACCOMPANIED BY VERY HIGH

VOLUMES.  RTS INDEX INCREASED BY 9.27 PERCENT IN REAL

TERMS FOR THE WEEK.

 

INTERNATIONAL RESERVES DECREASED BY USD200 MILLION AND

TOTALED USD12.3 BILLION DURING THE FIRST WEEK OF 2000.

THE MONETARY BASE WENT UP AGAIN BY 1.05 PERCENT OR R3.2

BILLION, TO REACH R309.2 BILLION.

 

---------------------------------------------

2. ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL MARKET DEVELOPMENTS

---------------------------------------------

 

--  ACCORDING TO IMF DATA, RUSSIA HAS REDUCED IT'S DEBT

TO THE IMF BY USD3.6 BILLION IN 1999.  CURRENTLY, THE

TOTAL AMOUNT RUSSIA OWES TO THE IMF IS USD15.2 BILLION.

 

-- RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT HAS SET THE AVERAGE MONTHLY WAGE

TO, EQUAL R1175 IN THE FORTH QUARTER FOR THE PURPOSES OF

THE PENSION ESTIMATIONS STARTING FROM FEBRUARY 2000.

 

--  ACCORDING TO THE TAX MINISTRY, TOTAL TAX

COLLECTIONS BY THE TAX MINISTRY WERE R377.4 BILLION IN

1999, 2.4 TIMES HIGHER THAN A YEAR BEFORE.  THIS IS 40

PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE TARGETED R269.3 BILLION.

ACCORDING TO THE TAX MINISTRY, AROUND 4 MILLION PEOPLE

WILL SUBMIT TAX DECLARATIONS FOR THE YEAR 1999.

 

--  FOR THE PURPOSE OF COVERING THE BUDGET DEFICIT, THE

MONEY EMISSION MAY TAKE PLACE IN MARCH OF 2000.

ACCORDING TO THE DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF THE


PROBLEMS OF THE GLOBALIZATION, MIKHAIL DELYAGIN, THIS

EMISSION MAY TOTAL NO LESS THAN USD1.5 BILLION IN THE

RUBLE EQUIVALENT.

 

-- ACCORDING TO THE ACTING PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN,

PENSIONS WILL BE INCREASED BY 20 PERCENT STARTING FROM

FEBRUARY 1, 2000.  EARLIER IN OCTOBER 1999, GOVERNMENT

ANNOUNCED 12-PERCENT PENSION INCREASE IN FEBRUARY.

PENSION WILL BE INCREASED TO UP TO R650

 

-- ACCORDING TO THE FIRST DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER MIKHAIL

KASIANOV, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TRANSFERS R90 MILLION

TO CHECHNYA EACH MONTH TO PAY PENSIONS AND WAGES IN

THIS REGION.  THE FINANCE MINISTRY AND MINISTRY OF

ECONOMY ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THE PROGRAM OF

REVIVING THE ECONOMY OF CHECHNYA.  KASIANOV ALSO

MENTIONED THAT THERE IS A STRICT CONTROL OVER THE

DISTRIBUTION OF THE FEDERAL RESOURCES IN CHECHNYA.

 

--------------

3.  BANK ALERT

--------------

 

-- THE CENTRAL BANK OF RUSSIA (CBR) REPORTED RUSSIA'S

GOLD AND CURRENCY RESERVES AT USD12.3 BILLION ON

JANUARY 7, COMPARED WITH USD12.5 AS OF DECEMBER 31,

1999.

 

-- THE CBR HAS INCREASED ITS MANDATORY RESERVE FUND

REQUIREMENT FOR COMMERCIAL BANKS EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1.

COMMERCIAL BANKS ARE REQUIRED TO SET ASIDE 10 PERCENT

INSTEAD OF 8.5 PERCENT FOR CORPORATE ACCOUNTS IN RUBLES

AND CORPORATE AND PERSONAL ACCOUNTS IN FOREIGN CURRENCY

AND 7 PERCENT INSTEAD OF 5.5 PERCENT FOR PERSONAL CASH

DEPOSITS ON RUBLE ACCOUNTS.  THE DEADLINE FOR THE

TRANSFER OF ADDITIONAL FUNDS INTO RESERVE FUND WAS SET

FOR JANUARY 18.

 

-- CBR CHAIRMAN VIKTOR GERASHCHENKO WANTS TO RAISE THE

MANDATORY HARD CURRENCY SALE OF EXPORT EARNINGS FROM

THE PRESENT 75 PERCENT TO 100 PERCENT TO STRENGTHEN

STATE REGULATION OF THE HARD CURRENCY MARKET.  THE CBR

CHIEF SENT A LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER IN LATE

DECEMBER WHERE HE PREDICTED THAT THE SITUATION ON THE

CURRENCY MARKET WOULD BECOME COMPLICATED IF ADDITIONAL


MEASURES WERE NOT TAKEN.  GERASHCHENKO NOTED THAT THE

COMPLICATIONS COULD ALREADY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE

YEAR LEAD TO A LOSS OF AROUND USD1.5 BILLION IN

SEASONAL EXPORT EARNINGS.  ACTING PRESIDENT AND PRIME

MINISTER VLADIMIR PUTIN SPOKE OUT IN FAVOR OF THE

PROPOSED MEASURE BUT STRESSED THAT IT MAY NOT BE

INTRODUCED SOONER THAN Q3.

 

-- THE CBR HAS TOUGHENED MEASURES FOR RESIDENTS BUYING

HARD CURRENCY TO PAY FOR SERVICES AND SALARIES.  NOW

COMPANIES BUYING OVER USD10 THOUSAND IN FOREIGN

CURRENCY TO PAY FOR WORK, SERVICES AND INTELLECTUAL

ACTIVITY MUST PRESENT PERMISSION FROM RUSSIA'S FEDERAL

SERVICE FOR CURRENCY AND EXPORT CONTROL.  THE LIST OF

SERVICES INCLUDES THAT OF HOTELS, COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY,

EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, TOURISM AND LEISURE.  THE CBR'S

NEW RULING DOES NOT EXTEND TO BANKS BUYING FOREIGN

CURRENCY WITH THEIR OWN FUNDS TO PAY FOR WORK, SERVICES

OF INTELLECTUAL ACTIVITY.

 

-- TOTAL SAVINGS BY RUSSIAN CITIZENS IN BANK ACCOUNTS,

SECURITIES AND CASH AMOUNTED TO R432.2 BILLION AS OF

DECEMBER 1, 1999, COMPARED WITH R424.5 BILLION AT THE

START OF NOVEMBER 1999 AND R306.4 BILLION AT THE START

OF DECEMBER 1998, ACCORDING TO THE RUSSIAN STATE

STATISTICS COMMITTEE. BANK ACCOUNTS CONSTITUTED 46.9

PERCENT OF THE ABOVE TOTAL, SECURITIES AND CASH

CONSTITUTED 19.5 PERCENT AND 33.6 PERCENT,

RESPECTIVELY.

 

-- THIS COMING WEEK THE AGENCY FOR RESTRUCTURING CREDIT

ORGANIZATIONS (ARCO) WILL TRANSFER THE FIRST R20-

MILLION TRANCHE OF THE R400-MILLION TOTAL ALLOCATED FOR

REPAYMENTS TO SMALL CREDITORS OF SBS-AGRO.

 

-- BANK AUSTRIA CREDITANSTALT (RUSSIA) DOUBLED ITS

OPERATING VOLUMES LAST YEAR.  THE INCREASED VOLUME WAS

A RESULT OF GREATER BANK ACTIVITY ON THE MARKET AND AN

EXPANDING CLIENT BASE.  BANK AUSTRIA IS THE FIRST

FOREIGN BANK TO OPEN THREE BRANCHES IN MOSCOW.  IT

OFFERS CLIENTS VISA DEBIT CARDS, ATM SERVICES AND

DIRECT DEPOSIT OF SALARIES.  BANK AUSTRIA CREDITANSTALT

(MOSCOW) WAS RANKED 37TH ON THE INTERFAX-100 LIST OF

MAJOR RUSSIAN BANKS, BASED ON FIGURES THROUGH THE FIRST

NINE MONTHS OF 1999.  PAID-IN CHARTER CAPITAL TOTALS


R1.77 BILLION.

 

---------

4. PRICES

---------

 

ACCORDING TO GOSKOMSTAT, INFLATION DURING THE FIRST 10

DAYS OF JANUARY TOTALED 1.1 PERCENT.

 

--------------------------

5. FINANCIAL MARKET TABLES

--------------------------

 

-------------------------------------------------------

A. THE RUBLE FIRMS UP BY THE END OF THE WEEK, STILL 6

PERCENT DOWN AGAINST THE DOLLAR SINCE THE START OF 2000

-------------------------------------------------------

AT THE START OF 2000, NOT SURPRISINGLY, THE RUBLE SWOOPED

DOWN.  CBR'S INTERVENTIONS DURING THE FIRST TWO TRADING

DAYS AT MICEX (JANUARY 5 AND 6) APPEARED TO BE

INEFFICIENT AND ON JANUARY 11 THE CBR BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DECIDED TO INCREASE RESERVE REQUIREMENTS (SEE BANK

ALERT).  THE STEP WHICH WAS EXPECTED TO VACUUM UP SOME

R20 BILLION FROM RECORD HIGH R88 BILLION IN CORRESPONDENT

ACCOUNTS WITH THE CBR BROUGHT IMMEDIATE RESULT.  ALREADY

ON JANUARY 12, AS THE CBR DECISION BECAME PUBLIC BETWEEN

THE TWO MICEX SESSIONS, THE "TOM" RUBLE CLOSED 1452

POINTS UP FROM THE "TOD" AVERAGE.  AFTER THAT, THE RUBLE

WENT ON SLOWLY BUT STEADILY FIRMING.  NEVERTHELESS, THE

"TOD" RUBLE CLOSED FRIDAY 5.82 PERCENT DOWN FROM THE

RESULT OF THE LAST SESSION IN 1999.  WHILE AVERAGE

MORNING SESSION TRADE VOLUME THIS WEEK WAS PRETTY HIGH AT

USD190.6 MILLION, AVERAGE AFTERNOON SESSION VOLUME WAS A

RECORD HIGH USD165.1 MILLION.  ACCORDING TO SOME MARKET

ANALYSTS, IN THE VERY SHORT RUN THE RUBLE WILL LIKELY

REMAIN STABLE OR EVEN, UNTIL THE FIRST WEEK OF FEBRUARY,

SLIGHTLY APPRECIATE.

 

TABLE 1A:  RUBLE RATES -- MICEX SELT TRADING (NOTE 1)

 

 ------------------------------------------------

            USD-TOD   USD-TOD   USD-TOM   USD-TOM

   DATE     AVERAGE   VOLUME   AVERAGE   VOLUME

             PRICE   (USD MN)    PRICE   (USD MN)

 ------------------------------------------------


 01/10/00  27.7349     142.51  27.9829   152.30

 01/11/00  28.4365     259.30  28.7025   272.97

 01/12/00  28.8462     212.00  28.6990   115.69

 01/13/00  28.6485     210.93  28.6847   119.58

 01/14/00  28.5748     127.55     NO TRADING

 

TABLE 1B:  RUBLE RATES -- CASH RATES AT EXCHANGE POINTS

(RUBLES PER USD) (NOTE 2)

 -------------------------------------------------

                     PRCT CHNG           PRCT CHNG

   DATE     AVERAGE   AGAINST   AVERAGE   AGAINST

              BUY    WEEK AGO    SELL    WEEK AGO

 -------------------------------------------------

 01/10/00   27.66         N/A   28.11         N/A

 01/11/00   28.27         N/A   29.34         N/A

 01/12/00   28.46         N/A   28.96         N/A

 01/13/00   28.39        4.18   28.83        3.97

 01/14/00   28.38        3.58   28.68        3.17

 

TABLE IC:  RUBLE RATES-- CBR OFFICIAL EXCHANGE RATE

 -----------------------------------------

                     PRCT CHNG  PRCT CHNG

   DATE    OFFICIAL   AGAINST    AGAINST

             RATE     WEEK AGO   01/01/00

 -----------------------------------------

 01/10/00  27.2300        0.85       0.85

 01/11/00  27.7300        2.70       2.70

 01/12/00  28.4400        5.33       5.33

 01/13/00  28.8500        7.25       6.85

 01/14/00  28.6500        5.21       6.11

 

---------------------

B. OFZ MARKET

---------------------

 

PRICES ON THE SECONDARY GKO/OFZ MARKET WERE GROWING

ALMOST ALL WEEK WITH SMALL NEGATIVE PRICE CORRECTIONS

WHICH TOOK PLACE ON IN THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK.

LATER ON THE WEEK THE POSITIVE TREND PICKED UP AND THE

YIELDS OF THE LONGER OFZ YIELDS WENT DOWN TO AS LOW AS

55-59 PERCENT P.A.  THE SHORTEST-TERM OFZ ISSUE NUMBER

O22 WHICH MATURES ON FEB.23, 2000 HAD YIELD OF 23.1

PERCENT P.A. AT THE END OF THE WEEK.  THE TRADE

ACTIVITY WAS MODERATE THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.

------------------------------------


C. SHORT-TERM INTERBANK SHARPLY DOWN

------------------------------------

 

SHORT-INTERBANK RUBLE LOAN RATES WENT DOWN IN THE

BEGINNING OF JANUARY AS BANKS HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES

WITH THE STOCK OF THE UNUSED RUBLES ON THEIR

CORRESPONDENT ACCOUNTS AT THE CBR.  BALANCES ON BANKS'

CORRESPONDENT ACCOUNTS HIT UNPRECEDENTED HIGH LEVELS,

REACHING R88.3 BILLION ON JAN.11, 2000.  TO LOWER THE

RUBLE LIQUIDITY ON THE MARKET, THE CBR HAD TO IMPLEMENT

THE NEW HIGHER OBLIGATORY BANK RESERVES RATE WHICH

LOWERED THE AMOUNT OF SPARE RUBLES IN THE BANKING

SYSTEM.

 

 --------------------------

 TABLE 4: INTERBANK CREDIT

 --------------------------

 

  DATE                      PERIOD (IN DAYS)

  -----------------------------------------------------

                    1     7     14     30     60     90

  -----------------------------------------------------

 

 JAN 05   MIBID   11.7   ---   ---    ---    ---    ---

          MIBOR   18.3   ---   ---    ---    ---    ---

 

 JAN 06   MIBID   11.0   08.0   10.0   55.0   17.0  20.0

          MIBOR   21.5   30.0   32.0   42.0   43.0  45.0

 

 JAN 10   MIBID   08.6   08.0   10.0   15.0   17.0  20.0

          MIBOR   17.2   30.0   32.0   42.0   43.0  45.0

 

 JAN 11   MIBID   05.6   05.0   07.0   13.0   15.0  20.0

          MIBOR   11.2   12.0   15.0   23.0   27.0  35.0

 

 JAN 12   MIBID   05.2   05.0   07.0   13.0   15.0  20.0

          MIBOR   10.4   12.0   15.0   23.0   27.0  35.0

 

 JAN 13   MIBID   06.2   04.0   07.0   10.0   12.0  17.0

          MIBOR   11.0   10.0   17.0   20.0   25.0  35.0

 

 JAN 14   MIBID   04.3   04.0   07.0   10.0   12.0  17.0

          MIBOR   08.8   10.0   17.0   20.0   25.0  35.0

 

---------------------


D. STOCK MARKET RALLY

---------------------

 

THE STOCK MARKET RALLY WHICH BEGAN IN DECEMBER OF 1999

CONTINUED THROUGH THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF THIS MONTH EVEN

AT A FASTER PACE.  NON-RESIDENTS WERE VERY ACTIVE

THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.  THE SECOND-TIER STOCK WAS IN THE

DEMAND ALSO.  LEADERS OF THE WEEK WERE THE "ENERGO"

SHARES. AFTER THE SLIGHT DECREASE IN THE BEGINNING OF

THE WEEK WHICH IS EXPLAINED BY THE TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS

AS A RESULT OF THE PROFIT TAKING, THE MARKET BEGAN TO

GROW AGAIN CLIMBING TO THE HIGHEST LEVELS ON FRIDAY.

TRADE VOLUMES WERE VERY HEALTHY THROUGHOUT THE WEEK

REACHING MAXIMUM OF USD40 MILLION ON FRIDAY.  THE HIGHER

VOLUME WAS LAST WITNESSED BACK IN JULY 22, 1998.  THIS

DAY, THE RTS INDEX REACHED THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF 2O2.7

SINCE JUNE 1998.  FOR THE WEEK THE RTS INDEX WENT UP BY

9.27 PERCENT IN REAL TERMS AND SINCE THE BEGINNING OF

THE YEAR IT GAINED 15.7 PERCENT IN REAL TERMS.

 

--------------------------

TABLE 5: RTS STOCK INDICES

--------------------------

                                                DOLLAR

 DATE    RTS INDEX        PERCENT CHANGE      ADJUSTED

            (R)       NOMINAL (RUB) REAL (USD)

 JAN 05 1086.88          2.14        2.14     179.01

 JAN 06  1122.21          3.25        3.64     185.52

 JAN 10  1177.17          4.90        3.63     192.25

 JAN 11  1136.93         -3.42       -5.16     182.33

 JAN 12  1210.02          6.43        3.77     189.20

 JAN 13  1270.66          5.01        3.52     195.86

 JAN 14  1305.96          2.78        3.50     202.71

 

 -------------------------

 E. INTERNATIONAL RESERVES

 -------------------------

INTERNATIONAL RESERVES OF THE CENTRAL BANK AND THE

FINANCE MINISTRY KEPT FALLING FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS

AND TOTALED USD12.3 MILLION LAST WEEK, WHICH IS STILL

0.82 PERCENT ABOVE OF THE LEVEL OF JANUARY, 1999.  FOR

THE YEAR, THE INTERNATIONAL RESERVES INCREASED BY 1.9

PERCENT.  THE CURRENCY RESERVES INCREASED BY 8.4

PERCENT IN 1999 AND TOTALED USD8.5 BILLION, AT THE MEAN

TIME GOLD RESERVES DECREASED BY 9.6 PERCENT AND TOTALED


USD4 BILLION.  IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE INTERNATIONAL

RESERVES, CURRENCY RESERVES TOTAL 67.9 PERCENT (63.8

PERCENT IN 1998) AND GOLD RESERVES TOTALED 32.1 PERCENT

(36.2 PERCENT IN 1998).

 

-----------------------------------------

TABLE 6: INTERNATIONAL RESERVES (NOTE 5)

-----------------------------------------

 

INTERNATIONAL  BLN USD  PERCENT CHG  PERCENT CHG

RESERVES                  PREV WK      01.01.00

 

01.07.00         12.3      -1.6        -00.0

12.31.99         12.5      -1.6         02.5(PRNT CHNG 01.01.99

12.24.99         12.7       5.8         04.1(PRNT CHNG 01.01.99

12.17.99         12.0       1.7        -01.6(PRNT CHNG 01.01.99

12.10.99         11.8       2.6        -03.3(PRNT CHNG 01.01.99

 

----------------

F. MONETARY BASE

----------------

 

MONETARY BASE CONTINUED TO GROW FOR THE FIFTH WEEK IN A

ROW.  DURING THE FIRST TEN DAYS OF 2000, IT GREW BY

R3.2 BILLION AND TOTALED R309.2 BILLION. THE WEEK

BEFORE THE (AT THE END OF DECEMBER 1999) BASE MONEY

INCREASED AN UNPRECEDENTED HIGH 5.81 PERCENT.

 

--------------------------------

TABLE 7: MONETARY BASE (NOTE 6)

--------------------------------

 

MONETARY   BLN RUBLES    PRCT CHNG FROM       PRCT CHNG FROM

BASE                        PREV. WEEK        PREV. 4 WK AVG

 

01.10.00     309.2            1.05                  7.3

12.27.99     306.0            5.81                  9.5

12.20.99     289.2            1.58                  4.7

12.13.99     284.7            4.44                  3.8

12.06.99     272.6            0.33                 -1.1

12.29.99     271.7           -0.60                 -1.0

--------------------------

G. CORRESPONDENT ACCOUNTS

--------------------------

 


-------------------------------------------

TABLE 8: BALANCES ON CORRESPONDENT ACCOUNTS

-------------------------------------------

 

        DATE                 BALANCE (BLN RUB)

      01.10.99                       -

      01.11.99                     88.296

      01.12.99                     81.484

      01.13.99                     81.586

      01.14.99                     74.647

 

------------------

EXPLANATORY NOTES

------------------

 

1. EXCHANGE RATES: SELT - "SYSTEM OF ELECTRONIC LOT

(CURRENCY) TRADING" - A COMPUTER-BASED OTC-TYPE TRADING

SYSTEM ORGANIZED BY THE MOSCOW INTERBANK CURRENCY

EXCHANGE (MICEX).  USD-TOD PRICE IS THE PRICE OF THE

DOLLAR WITH THE SAME DAY DELIVERY.  USD-TOM PRICE IS

THE PRICE OF THE DOLLAR WITH DELIVERY ON THE NEXT DAY.

MINIMUM LOT SIZE FOR EACH OF THE DOLLAR INSTRUMENTS IS

USD1OO,OOO.  AVERAGE PRICE IS QUOTED AS THE WEIGHTED

AVERAGE OF ALL THE BIDS AND OFFERS ENTERED INTO THE

SYSTEM BY VARIOUS BANKS.

 

2  AVERAGE CASH RATES ARE QUOTED AS CALCULATED BY THE

INTER-LINE INFORMATION AGENCY THAT PROCESSES DATA FROM

OVER 500 EXCHANGE POINTS IN THE CITY OF MOSCOW.

 

3  INTEREST RATES: THE TABLE PROVIDES MOSCOW INTERBANK

BID (MIBID) AND MOSCOW INTERBANK OFFERED RATE (MIBOR)

B ANNUALIZED AVERAGE BID AND OFFER RATES ON SHORT-TERM

RUBLE LOANS BETWEEN COMMERCIAL BANKS.

 

4  STOCK INDICES: THE RTS INDEX, IS THE ONLY OFFICIAL

INDICATOR OF THE RUSSIAN TRADING SYSTEM.  IT IS

CIRCULATED EVERY 30 MINUTES OF THE RTS TRADE SESSION,

STARTING FROM 12:00.  IT COMPRISES 60 SHARES OF 35

LEADING COMPANIES.  THIS SHARES ARE INCLUDED IN SO-

CALLED CATEGORY "A" LISTING.  THE INDEX INDICATES OVER-

THE-COUNTER STOCK PRICES.  THE INDEX REPRESENTS THE

RATIO OF THE TOTAL MARKET CAPITALIZATION OF THE SHARES

OF THE COMPANIES SELECTED FOR THE INDEX TO THE TOTAL

MARKET CAPITALIZATION OF THE SAME SHARES AS OF THE


INITIAL DATE MULTIPLIED BY THE INDEX VALUE AS OF THE

INITIAL DATE (31 DECEMBER, 1997) USING A BASE OF 100

BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 1, 1995.  THE RUBLE-ADJUSTED INDEX

IN A DERIVATIVE OF THE MAIN DOLLAR INDEX, USING THE

SAME BASE.

 

5  INTERNATIONAL RESERVES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

REPRESENT THE AMOUNT OF RESERVE ASSETS OF THE BANK OF

RUSSIA AND FINANCE MINISTRY.  THOSE RESERVE ASSETS ARE

COMPRISED OF MONETARY GOLD, SPECIAL DRAWING RIGHTS, THE

RESERVE POSITION IN THE IMF AND OTHER LIQUID FOREIGN

CURRENCY ASSETS.  THE LATTER INCLUDE SHORT-TERM

DEPOSITS IN NONRESIDENT AND RESIDENT BANKS, BALANCES IN

CURRENT ACCOUNTS, FOREIGN GOVERNMENT SECURITIES, REPO

AGREEMENTS WITH THESE SECURITIES MADE WITH

NONRESIDENTS, AND OTHER LIQUID ASSETS (ACCRUED INTEREST

ON THESE ASSETS IS NOT INCLUDED).  MONETARY GOLD IS

EVALUATED AT USD300 PER TROY OZ.  FOREIGN CURRENCY

ASSETS ARE CONVERTED INTO US DOLLARS ON THE BASIS OF

THE CROSS RATES OF FOREIGN CURRENCIES TO THE USD,

CALCULATED USING THE OFFICIAL RATES OF THE RUBLE TO

THESE FOREIGN CURRENCIES, SET BY THE CBR.

 

6. MONETARY BASE (ML) IS COMPRISED OF CASH AND RESERVES

OF COMMERCIAL BANKS ON DEPOSIT IN THE CBR.  IT IS THE

BASIC PART OF THE MONEY SUPPLY (M2).

 

7. LOMBARD CREDITS, DISTRIBUTED THROUGH AUCTIONS, ARE

AIMED TO PROVIDE THE LIQUIDITY TO THE BANKING SECTOR.

THESE CREDITS ARE EXTENDED TO BANKS ON THE BASIS OF

COLLATERAL (T-BILLS, OR MORE RECENTLY, SHARES).