OREANDA-NEWS. July 15, 2013. In its regular meeting today, the Bank of Latvia Council discussed the latest developments in Latvian economy, took decisions on the future direction of monetary policy and updated forecasts of the key macroeconomic indicators. Inflation forecast for 2013 was lowered to 0.7% (from previous 1%) and forecast for the gross domestic product growth was increased to 4.1% (from 3.6%).

Since the inflation indicators are consistently low and the rate of economic growth poses no risks to price stability in the medium term, the Bank of Latvia Council today resolved to lower the interest rates set by the Bank of Latvia, bringing them more in line with the corresponding rates set by the European Central Bank:

The Bank of Latvia refinancing rate from 2.5% to 2.0%;

the marginal lending facility rates:

to banks that have used the facility no more than five working days within the previous 30 day period, from 3.0% to 2.5%,

to banks that have used the facility no more than ten working days within the previous 30 day period, form 6.0% to 4.75%,

to banks that have used the facility more than ten working days within the previous 30 day period, from 9.0% to 7.0%.

The Bank of Latvia deposit facility rates and reserve requirements remain unchanged.

The Report of the Governor of the Bank of Latvia, Ilmars Rimsevics, at 11 July press conference will be available in the news section of the Bank of Latvia’s home page www.bank.lv.

To agree the minimum reserve requirement regulations with the ones applied within the Eurosystem, the Bank of Latvia applied amendments to the "Regulation for Calculating and Fulfilling the Minimum Reserve Requirements for Credit Institutions" (to take effect on 01.10.2013.), as well as approved two new regulations: the Regulation for Preparing the "Calculation of the Reserve Base and Reserve Requirement " for Credit Unions (to take effect on 01.10.2013.) and the Regulation for Preparing the "Calculation of the Reserve Base and Reserve Requirement" (to take effect on 01.01.2014.)

The principal changes in calculation and fulfilment of the reserve requirements are as follows:

The period for fulfilling the reserve requirement ending 23 December of this year is extended to 31 December, taking into account the small number of working days in the period remaining to the beginning of next year.

As of the moment of euro introduction, the methodology of calculating the reserve base and reserve requirement is fully consistent with the requirements of the ECB regulation on the application of minimum reserves.

As of the moment of euro introduction, for the purposes of implementation of the single monetary policy, credit unions are to be encumbered with a reserve requirement even if in the particular member state they have been provided an exceptional status in the credit institutions directive. Yet in compliance with the methodology of the ECB reserve requirement calculation, an allowance of a fixed EUR 100 000 will be applied to the amount of the minimum reserves of each credit union as well as each credit institution. In view of this, the credit unions will be practically exempt from the fulfilment of reserve requirement in near future and their only obligation will be to prepare and submit the calculation of reserve requirement.

To make the credit institutions` and credit unions` job easier and to help them orient themselves in the ECB directly applicable regulations in the sphere of minimum reserves, the Bank of Latvia will post an explicating material, an advisory guidelines for the application of minimum reserves on the Internet site www.bank.lv.

In connection with the planned euro introduction, the Bank of Latvia Council made amendments to the Regulation for Purchasing and Selling Cash Foreign Currencies (to take effect on 01.08.2013.).

Terminological changes have been made to the Regulation, the principle for setting and referencing the euro exchange rate has been modified and changes have been made regarding the preparation and submission of monthly statements. The amendments include the requirement to show, starting 1 August 2013, the official euro exchange rate (1 EUR = 0.702804 LVL) after 1 January 2014 at the exchange windows of the currency exchange points.

Regarding the planned euro introduction and changes in the balance of payments methodology, the Bank of Latvia Council approved the following eight Bank of Latvia rules regulating the preparation of statistical statements (to take effect on 01.01.2014.):

"The Regulation for Preparation of "External Assets and Liabilities Quarterly Statement (1-MB)"";

"The Regulation for Preparation of "External Assets and Liabilities Annual Statement (1-MB)"";

"The Regulation for Preparation of "Transportation and Mediation Quarterly Statement (3-MB)"";

"The Regulation for Preparation of "Services Quarterly Statement (4-MB)"";

"The Regulation for Preparation of Non-Bank External Payments Statements";

"The Regulation for Preparation of Credit Institution Long-Term External Debt Statement";

"The Regulation for Securities Statement";

"The Regulation for Preparation of the "Monthly Statement on the Contracts Signed by Physical Persons for Work Abroad (5-MB)"".

The most important changes are as follows:

•  The explication of the terms ‘direct investor’ and ‘direct investment enterprise’ have been supplemented, new sections on the higher controlling parent enterprise, on assets in and liabilities to foreign sister enterprises, information from the profit and loss calculations and information from the consolidated annual statement have been introduced. An explanation of the higher controlling parent enterprise and foreign sister enterprise has been included;

•  The deadline for submitting the "Annual Statement on External Assets and Liabilities (1-MB)" has been changed to 5 April after the year in review (was 25 January) in the "Regulation for Preparation of "Annual Statement on External Assets and Liabilities (1-MB)"";

•  In the "Regulation for Preparation of Nonbank External Payments Statements", the preparation of "Nonbank External Payments Statement" has been changed from once a week to once a month. The hitherto applied limit for which, when exceeded, information had to be submitted to the Bank of Latvia for external payments of merchants has been changed from 5 000 lats (approximately 7 100 euro) to 10 000 euro. Preparation and submission of "1-AB Statement on External Payments Made in Foreign Banks" are no longer required.