Template-Type: ReDIF-Paper 1.0 Author-Name:Bozhechkova Alexandra Author-Name-First: Alexandra Author-Name-Last:Bozhechkova Author-Workplace-Name: Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy Author-Name:Trunin Pavel Author-Name-First: Pavel Author-Name-Last:Trunin Author-Workplace-Name: Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy Author-Name:Knobel Alexander Author-Name-First: Alexander Author-Name-Last:Knobel Author-Workplace-Name: Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy Author-Name:Kiyutsevskaya Anna Author-Name-First: Anna Author-Name-Last:Kiyutsevskaya Author-Workplace-Name: Gaidar Institute for Economic Policy Title: Russia’s Monetary Policy in 2016 Abstract: In 2016, the Bank of Russia implemented a conservative monetary policy aimed at mitigating inflation. Commercial banks decreased their demand for central bank refinancing as the Reserve Fund was spent, in which case the central bank had to employ a set of instruments to prevent an increase in the money supply. It happened twice over the course of the year – on June 14 and September 19 – that Russia’s central bank cut 0.5 percentage points off the key rate, to 10% p.a. With a declining inflation rate and inflation expectations available during the year, a rather moderate decline in the key rate suggested growth of the real interest rate in the money market. Maintaining a positive real rate in the money market helps prevent prices from hiking upwards as the savings appeal strengthened, although there is risk of economic slowdown. Classification-JEL: E31, E43, E44, E51, E52, E58 Keywords: Russian economy, monetary policy, money market, exchange rate, inflation, balance of payments Creation-Date: 2017 Revision-Date:2017 Length: 19 pages File-URL: https://www.iep.ru/files/RePEc/gai/ppaper/ppaper-2017-269.pdf File-Format: application/pdf File-Function: Revised version, 2017 Handle: RePEc:gai:ppaper:ppaper-2017-269