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Russian Federation -- Concluding Statement for the December 2010 Staff Visit
December 8, 2010
Describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the conclusion of certain missions (official staff visits, in most cases to member countries). Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF's Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, and as part of other staff reviews of economic developments.
Our assessment of the economic situation and policies is broadly similar to that provided at the time of the Article IV consultation mission in June 2010. In particular, realizing Russia’s growth potential will require a decisive break with past policies, and failure to tighten fiscal and monetary policies and reinvigorate banking and structural reforms would likely result in continued low growth. This statement provides an update, focusing on (i) exit from crisis-related policies; (ii) the medium-term government budget; (iii) the central bank’s response to the recent surge in inflation; and (iv) banking supervision.
1. Following a disruption in the summer, the Russian economy’s recovery from the crisis has resumed, but growth is likely to remain subdued against the backdrop of an uneven global recovery and heightened macro-financial risks.
• The global recovery is proceeding at different speeds. The pace of recovery in most advanced economies remains slow, with the outlook clouded by high unemployment and sovereign and banking sector risks, especially in the Euro area. In contrast, a number of emerging economies are enjoying rapid growth, buoyed by strong capital inflows, raising concerns about overheating. Against this backdrop, Russia is faced with a weak and unusually uncertain external environment.
• Russia’s recovery was temporarily derailed by a heat wave and drought in the summer. Growth has since picked up and is projected to reach 3.7 percent in 2010 and 4.3 percent in 2011. Next year, growth is expected to be balanced, driven roughly equally by consumption and investment. Fundamental structural reforms and stronger macroeconomic policies, however, would be needed to boost growth in the medium term.
2. The Russian authorities have continued the exit from crisis-related policy support, but the exit strategy is not sufficiently bold and is undermined by weak policy frameworks, posing risks to a sustainable recovery. Planned fiscal consolidation in the 2011-13 budget unwinds only a part of the crisis-related stimulus, and is not fully supported by concrete policy plans. Monetary easing was paused in June and interest rates have since remained on hold, despite a surge in inflation. The extraordinary liquidity support extended to banks during the crisis has been withdrawn and regulatory forbearance is being unwound, but banks remain strained by bad loans, with weak balance sheets hindering a durable credit expansion. Delays in implementing consolidated supervision and connected lending regulations amplify financial sector risks.
3. Going forward, the challenge is to put in place a bold and convincing exit strategy to reduce risks to the recovery and bolster sustainable growth.
To support the government’s medium-term goals, a more ambitious, growth-friendly, and credible fiscal consolidation than currently planned is needed.
Monetary policy should focus squarely on reducing inflation. The increased inflationary pressures over the past few months argue for action to rein in inflation. Inflation picked up from a low of 5½ percent in July to over 8 percent in November. While the sharp increase in inflation has been largely driven by a drought-related spike in food prices, nonfood prices have also been steadily on the rise since July, which is a cause for concern. Accordingly, a hike in the policy interest rates would seem warranted to prevent the second-round effects of food-price increases from taking hold. Moreover, the Central Bank of Russia (CBR) should be more forceful in communicating its commitment to reducing inflation, including in its monthly policy statements.
The continued actions by the CBR to increase exchange-rate flexibility are welcome. The ruble is now fluctuating in a wider trading band, with more frequent adjustments of the band. This should reduce the scope for policy conflict between the exchange rate and inflation and help deter speculative capital flows. Indeed, a flexible exchange rate should be the first line of defense against volatile capital flows.
While the banking system has stabilized, considerable risks remain and strengthening of the supervisory and regulatory framework is vital.
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