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Alexey Vedev, head of the Gaidar Institute’s Financial Studies Department, offered his forecast of the ruble forex rate movement pattern for the “fateful” month of August. According to Moskovsky Komsomolets, in line with the evil tradition dating back to the 1998 default, the people always expect the last month of summer to be fraught with threats to the national currency.

Natalia Shagayda, head of the Gaidar Institute’s Agrarian Department, on the air with Sputnik radio program, discussed the issue of whether the products manufactured inside the EAEU could successfully displace imported products from the domestic market, and the benefits this could bring to ordinary consumers.

Olga Izryadnova, Head of the Gaidar Institute’s Structural Policy Department, said in her interview with The Independent Newspaper that over the course of H1, the Russian economy was characterized by positive trends in demand and supply recovery. This was her commentary on Russia’s economic growth forecast for 2021 released by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The Russian economy may suffer from a third wave of the pandemic, as the media have prophesized. The validity of such fears was discussed on the air with Sputnik radio program by Alexander Deryugin, researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s Budget Policy Department.

In Russia, the rapid development of the electric vehicle market is hampered by several major obstacles. This was explained to REGNUM by Yuri Ponomarev, senior researcher at the Gaidar Institute. This is his comment on the promise, voiced by the RF Ministry of Industry and Trade, that preferential car loans from 2022 will also apply to electric cars.

The European Union attempted to launch a World Trade Organization (WTO) case against Russia concerning the economic advantages of domestic producers. Head of the Gaidar Institute’s International Trade Department Alexander Knobel shared with The Russian Newspaper his opinion that Russia has some weighty arguments to present in the dispute with the EU.

At the end of June, Russia’s Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin instructed the RF Ministry of Finance and the RF Ministry of Economic Development to prepare, by August 1, al the necessary measures designed to reduce the shadow sector’s share in the regional economies of the North Caucasus. Irina Starodubrovskaya, Head of the Gaidar Institute’s Center for Political Economy and Regional Development, believes that the issuance of grants for the legalization of entrepreneurial activity can become an effective initiative to support local businesses. TASS quotes the expert’s opinion as follows.

In Russia, foodstuff prices are soaring at breakneck speed. Prices for cabbage and carrots increased, while those of bananas have hit their all-time high. Natalya Shagaida, Head of the Gaidar Institute’s Agrarian Department, said in her interview with 360 that the reasons for the current spike in prices should be looked for outside of the agricultural sector. The underlying contributing factors include the rise in prices for imported vegetable seeds, spare parts for equipment, and the ever-increasing shipping costs.

On July 14, Igor Efremov, researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s International Research Department of Political Demography and Macrodynamics, gave an interview to the “Evening Moscow” daily, where the ongoing reduction of alcohol consumption in Russia was discussed.

The Club of Regions cites the opinion of Stepan Zemtsov, senior researcher at the Gaidar Institute’s Innovation Economics Department, on the implementation of projects envisaged in the program of socioeconomic development of the Kemerovo region, concerning which President Vladimir Putin issued his instructions at a recent Government meeting.

In its latest issue that focused on the development dynamics and prospects of the Russian economy, The Expert published a commentary by Olga Izryadnova, Head of the Gaidar Institute’s Structural Policy Department. 

The RF Ministry of Economic Development has significantly improved its forecast rate of economic growth. According to the government department, towards the end of this year, Russia’s GDP will gain 3.8% instead of the previously predicted 2.9%. Alexey Vedev, head of the Gaidar Institute’s Financial Studies Department, shared with The Moskovsky Komsomolets his point of view concerning the country’s updated socioeconomic development forecast.

In June, according to Rosstat data, annual inflation in Russia accelerated to 6.5%, and consumer prices rose by 0.69% on the previous month. Alexander Knobel, Head of the Gaidar Institute’s International Trade Department, told TASS about the internal inflationary risks factors.

The draft law on the introduction of luxury tax was rejected by the government. It has been noted that the adoption of that law could result in double taxation. Natalia Kornienko, Head of the Gaidar Institute’s Tax System Development Department, spoke about the taxation system on the air with the Public News Service (OSN Media).