An Extraordinary Meeting of Vnesheconombank Supervisory Board Held
V.V. Putin, the Russian Federation Prime Minister, chaired the meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Bank for Development – Vnesheconombank
Opening address:
Honorable colleagues!
In the past few days, as you are well aware – and we have already discussed it at the Presidium meeting today – the Government has taken a series of important measures designed to protect the national economy against the negative impacts of the global financial meltdown.
In my judgment, securing sustainability and resilience of the Russian banking system, ensuring a stable and continuous operation of Russian enterprises is a key objective. In addressing the task, the Bank for Development – Vnesheconombank (VEB) has an important role to play.
By the year-end, Vnesheconombank’s charter capital will be increased by RUB 75 billion. These funds could be used for the purchase of the Russian securities and insurance of transactions on the domestic financial market.
Another RUB 175 billion worth of funds from the National Wealth Fund will be transferred for management to VEB to maintain the stability of the Russian stock market, including the purchase of the Russian companies’ corporate bonds. Actually, I mentioned it just a couple of days ago.
Furthermore, the financial bailout package provides for allocation of RUB 950 billion as subordinated funding to Russian banks. It is going to be the so-called ‘long money’ extended for a 10-year term. These funds are intended for recapitalization of the Russian banks and, at the same time, should help resolve the liquidity crunch.
Thus, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (CBR) will advance RUB 500 billion to the Russian Savings Bank (Sberbank) and RUB 450 billion to Vnesheconombank, which, in its turn, will distribute the subordinated funding as follows: VTB – RUB 200 billion, Rosselkhozbank – RUB 25 billion, other commercial banks – RUB 225 billion. However, the shareholders of such commercial banks should be prepared to use their own equity to recapitalize the banks.
More importantly, these banks must be sound and solid, have a high potential and high credit ratings.
Along with the stimulus package for the banking sector, we should obviously support the real sector of the Russian economy. Today, we have already discussed it in detail. Primarily, the real economy sector should be ensured access to financial resources.
Lots of Russian enterprises have been raising foreign credits. Regrettably, at present, this mechanism is not working any longer. Meanwhile, debts are coming due.
Obviously, we should come up with alternative solutions and seek to refinance our companies’ foreign borrowings drawing, first and foremost, on internal sources of refinancing. That could help to stave off the threat of selling off the Russian enterprises’ assets at knockdown prices that have nothing to do with the fair value of businesses.
To this end, the Central Bank is allocating USD 50 billion to Vnesheconombank, with the right to obtain refinancing of foreign credits to be granted primarily to companies that raised them prior to 25 September 2008, i.e. before the aid package was announced.
Today, we are going to approve the procedure and conditions VEB will have to apply when refinancing Russian enterprises. This decision is critically important. It would help to immediately address the needs of the Russian borrowers.
I am fairly confident the eligibility criteria for obtaining subordinated loans would be as follows:
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First, a Russian company’s core business is to be focused on the real economy sector on the territory of the Russian Federation;
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Second, its activities should be viewed as important either for the region’s economy or strategic industries. Equally important, we could not possibly afford ‘to lose’ assets, if it leads to negative social impacts;.
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Third, we must refinance only those credits that were raised to deliver investment projects or acquire assets in Russia, in the Russian economy, I am emphasizing.
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Finally, the bailout package is intended for those companies that will attract co-financing on their own, thus sharing risks with the state.
All these steps are specified in the amendments to the Federal Budget and in Federal Law ‘On Additional Measures for Supporting the Financial System of the Russian Federation’. The State Duma and the Council of Federation have already approved the Law. The amendments to the Budget are subject for discussion this week. I hope that the Russian Government and members of the Parliament will manage to arrive at the right decisions and agree their positions. There is no time to be lost.
By the moment the above acts become effective, Vnesheconombank should take all organizational decisions. The Bank should be gearing up to effect the required financial operations. That is why we promptly convened an extraordinary meeting of the Supervisory Board of the Bank for Development today.
Now, let us proceed with the agenda.
Origin: Internet-portal of the Government of the Russian Federation
A meeting of State Corporation ‘Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)’ Supervisory Board chaired by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was held at the Russian Federation Government House today, on September 15.
V.V.Putin’s address at the meeting…
The meeting approved the Bank’s participation in financing the following major investment projects:
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The Sevmash Production Association’s production program;
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OJSC Corporation VSMPO-AVISMA investment development program. The Corporation’s investment program is aimed at reconstructing and modernizing the facility and provides for increased production of deeply processed products. The implementation of this investment program will result in increased production of titanium sponge, it will increase by 20% (up to 44 thousand tons per year), and rolled titanium – by 46% (up to 46 thousand tons per year). The program’s total value is 26 billion rubles, the Bank’s participation share in the project will amount to 400 million US dollars. Funds are to be made available for a period of 5 years;
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Construction and operation of the alpine ski resort “Rosa Khutor” in Krasnaya Polyana. The Rosa Khutor project provides for creating a unique year-round sports and tourist complex. Under the project a number of Olympic sports facilities are planned to be built, they include an alpine ski center, a snowboard park, alpine ski routes to hold competitions in all 10 alpine ski events as well as hotel infrastructural assets. The project’s total value is 1,375 million US dollars. Vnesheconombank plans to earmark funds worth up to 750 million US dollars for a period of 15 years for this project’s implementation;
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Construction of a new integrated complex to manufacture ammonia, methanol and granulated carbamide in the city of Mendeleevsk, the Republic of Tatarstan implemented by OJSC “Ammonii”. The project provides for building an integrated facility to manufacture ammonia and methanol with a capacity of 2,050 tons of ammonia per day and 668 tons of methanol per day at the mineral fertilizers manufacturing factory Mendeleevskazot LLC. The total value of the project is more than1billion US dollars US dollars. Vnesheconombank’s participation share will amount up to 870 million US dollars;
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Construction of a factory in the Ulyanovsk region to manufacture and assemble super- light jets Eclipse 500 as well as provide after-sales services. The factory’s projected capacity will amount to 800 jets per year. Vnesheconombank is expected to finance the project in full the total value of which is 205 million US dollars, moreover Vnesheconombank and the Ulyanovsk region Administration will be among the shareholders of the enterprise.
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The Supervisory Board has also made a decision to establish a targeted financing limit for the Kazakhstan Development Bank to open a credit line worth up to 300 million US dollars with a repayment period of 15 years. The credit line is of targeted nature – funds will be made available to support the export of Russian companies’ industrial products and services to the Republic of Kazakhstan. Decisions on conducting each specific transaction are to be made by Vnesheconombank’s governing bodies including decisions on all substantial terms of these transactions.
A number of other issues have been also considered.
Origin: Press Office of Vnesheconombank
Contact person: Svetlana Nikitina
Phone: +7 (495) 608-46-93, Fax: +7 (495) 975-21-34
E-mail: press@veb.ru
