The deputy speaker of Russia’s Federation Council (upper chamber of parliament), Nikolai Zhuravlev, said on Wednesday the Russian government is preparing a second package of measures to support the national economy amid the coronavirus outbreak, state-run news agency TASS reported
“Today, the government is preparing the second package of measures for supporting citizens and the effective demand, a list of systemically important companies has been compiled,” Zhuravlev said at a plenary session of the upper house.
Lawmakers are asking the government to include regional enterprises on the list and to pay special attention to construction and small businesses, he added.
Zhuravlev warned against spreading disinformation, which may stir panic. He cited false media reports about alleged restrictions on ATM cash disbursement as an example.
“This is absolutely not true. This is only about disinfection of banknotes. We have been in contact with the Bank of Russia and have received clarifications,” the lawmaker said.
Earlier, Russian Deputy Finance minister Andrei Ivanov said that the Russian authorities are ready to consider not only deferment, but also restructuring the debts of the enterprises most affected by the coronavirus, both for taxes and for loans from commercial banks. The deputy minister also said that work to support the backbone enterprises of the Russian Federation will be carried out individually, depending on the specific situation.
