Part 10
Speaking during his annual televised Q&A session with the public,Russian Prime Minster Vladimir Putin
The session lasted for about three hours. The Russian Prime Minister and the leader of the most popular Russian political party, United Russia, covered a variety of issues ranging from the global financial crisis to relations with Europe and the United States to purely domestic topics.
В прямом эфире телеканалов «Россия» и «Вести», радиостанций «Маяк» и «Радио России» Владимир Путин Председатель Правительства и лидер партии «Единая Россия» ответил на вопросы, поступившие в общественные приемные Председателя партии, заданные по телефону, sms, а также через сайт программы.Трансляция идет из Гостиного двора в Москве.
ANNA TITOVA: Excuse me, Ernest, but what about mortgages? People are asking many questions on this issue. Everyone is really concerned about housing. Let's give the audience a chance to ask one more question on the subject.ERNEST MACKEVICIUS: Tell us your name, please. NATALIA GOGOL: Hello.My name is Natalia Gogol, I am an accountant from the Moscow Region.I would like to tell you that banks have been refusing to issue mortgage loans lately under various pretexts. Some set prohibitive rates, and it becomes virtually impossible, or at least not easy, to take out a loan. Some banks insist that customers clear any outstanding loans first. Will the Government do something about this? What are we to do? Thank you. VLADIMIR PUTIN: The rates are rising, I admit. It is an effect of the global financial crisis, its repercussions for the Russian economy. It is also happening because the Central Bank is compelled to raise its refinance rate in order to prevent further outflow of capital from the country. I won't go deep into economic theory here, there have been a lot of proposals on how to mitigate the negative effects on consumers, how to encourage consumer demand and also housing construction.
As for the banks' demands of early clearance of mortgage loans, it is basically a civil law issue. If your loan agreement contains a recapture clause stating that, if the collateral value drops, the bank has the right to require additional collateral amount, then the bank's demand is formally legitimate. Usually banks ask their clients to repay part of the principal loan. However, banks really shouldn't be doing this, because they end up with the same problem as their borrowers: property as collateral. The bank won't be able to liquidate an apartment easily now.This is a separate issue we have already discussed. Here is what we could do. I think the Government could issue state guarantees to banks through the Agency for Housing Mortgage Lending. The banks could use these guarantees to solve their financial problems rather than "terrorise" their customers. I think it would be the best solution for all.If there are more questions, I can talk about it in more detail later. Go ahead, please.ERNEST MACKEVICIUS: But there are many questions about the same problem, Mr Putin: "I lost my job, I cannot make my mortgage payments, please help me keep my home." VLADIMIR PUTIN: Then let's discuss the problem further. It is certainly a very sensitive issue. I can understand people who find themselves in this situation, one of life's major emergencies. Persons losing their jobs, or their employers shortening their hours or wages due to global economic and financial turmoil - but one still has to make regular mortgage payments. What is to be done in such cases? Can the Government help? Yes it can and it must.How? Here is what we propose. For those who lost their jobs or whose pay was cut dramatically - I will repeat that we plan to issue state guarantees through the Agency for Housing Mortgage Lending. The Agency can take over mortgage certificates on condition that the bank revises the agreement with the borrower. With these certificates, the bank can even raise liquidity by applying to the Central Bank.
I think we should try to implement the proposals I am formulating now as soon as possible, because they will help those Russians who got in trouble, and rehabilitate the banking system.
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wow i hope the georgian presedent hears this hahaha
britsinger2 3 years ago 5
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JumpingMusic 3 years ago 4