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One of the topics of discussion at the 9th Gaidar Forum was dedicated to a search for Russian economic growth sources in foreign trade.

From January 1, 2018, it is planned to introduce in the Russian Federation a nation-wide goods traceability system which envisages a mandatory marking of goods with check (identification) signs.

At the Bank of Russia Board of Directors' meeting on 15 December, it was decided that the key interest rate should be radically reduced - by 0.5 pp. to 7.75%, and not by 25.5 pp., as had been presumed by the majority of experts.

Summarizing the results of the 12^th East Asian summit which was held in Manila, the Philippines on November 13–14, 2017, Dmitri Medvedev, Prime Minister of the Russian Federation said that the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) could conclude an agreement on a free trade zone with the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The goals and tasks pertaining to the issue of sustainable development of the Federation's subjects have been established on a comprehensive basis with due regard for Russia's nationwide interests and priorities.

The draft federal budget for 2018 and the 2019-2020 planning period submitted to parliament by the Russian government stipulates that the revenues generated by federal property privatization should be treated as a separate source for covering federal budget deficit.

The decision taken by the Central Bank of Russia to carry out financial rehabilitation of such large banks as the FK Otkrytie and the Binbank is a significant event for development of the banking sector of the Russian Federation.

The Bank of Russia Board of Directors at its meeting held on Friday, 27 October decided that the key interest rate should be reduced by 0.25 p.p. - to 8.25% per annum. In this connection, the Bank of Russia does not rule out the possibility of the key rate being further reduced at one of its next meetings.  

In H1 2017, the macroeconomic situation was determined by a change in the trend of the past four years: investments in capital assets grew at a higher rate than the dynamics of the GDP and households’ ultimate consumption.  With a 1.5% GDP growth in January-June 2017, investments in capital assets increased by 4.8% as compared to H1 2016.

In Q1 2017, for the first time after a 4-year 'pause', the index of investments in fixed assets moved into positive zone, with a growth rate of 102.3% relative to the previous year. The volume of investments in fixed assets in terms of share in GDP in Q1 2017 stayed approximately at its average recorded at the start of each year during the period 2014–2016.

Russia’s territories are highly differentiated, which requires redistributing significant amount of resources both as taxes and as inter-budgetary transfers.

The year 2017 was declared to be the year of ecology in Russia, so discussions about humans’ destructive impact on the environment, including climatic effects, intensified.

The Bank of Russia’s Board of Directors decided to lower the key rate from 9.75% to 9.25%.

The second 3-year privatization program for the years 2014–2016 was approved by the Executive Order of the Government of the Russian Federation of 1 July, 2013, No. 1111-p.

On 23 April, 2017, in a conversation with journalists at the Krasnoyarsk Economic Forum, Ilya Trunin, Deputy Finance Minister of the Russian Federation, mentioned that personal incomes fr om bank deposits could be taxed. That caused a stormy public reaction.

The potential to save on transaction costs determines a rapid increase in the worldwide use of blockchain. One instance of blockchain technology is cryptocurrency – digital means of payment.