MOSCOW, March 19. /TASS/: The accumulated resources will allow the Russian authorities to quickly respond to a difficult situation, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told reporters.
"I believe that the measures that were determined by the government, the resources and reserves that we have formed in the budget, which make the National Wealth Fund, overall 300 bln rubles, will allow us to quickly respond to developments and to help businesses, people, constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and of course enterprises in need," he said.
"Hence, the situation is not easy — we can all see that — but the government has an action plan that we will work on," the minister stated.
Siluanov added that coronavirus has a stronger effect on the Russian economy than declining oil prices. "Two factors are working at the moment — lower oil prices and the consequences of the so-called coronavirus infection. I believe the second component is even more serious for our economy, since it directly affects entire industries," Siluanov indicated.
The Russian government said earlier it has resources to respond to threats related to the coronavirus spread thanks to the service of sanitary and epidemiological safety provision, support of research and development works. "Thanks to the service of sanitary and epidemiological safety provision, support of research and development in that field, Russia has substantial resources to respond to such threats," the statement reads.
