The BRICS New Development Bank is designed as an alternative and a supplement to existing international “hard currency” financial institutions to help member states finance projects in local currencies, Vladimir Dmitriev, CEO of Vnesheconombank told RT.
The new bank was not intended as a rival and competitor to the
existing international institutions, but rather as a useful
alternative instrument in order for the BRICS countries to
finance their own projects, CEO of Russia’s Vnesheconombank (VEB)
told RT on the sidelines of the BRICS/SCO summits in Ufa.
READ MORE: BRICS/SCO summits in Russian
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“The decision was made to create a financial institution
which is to support economic development in BRICS countries. I
would rather say that it’s a complimentary vehicle to be focused
specifically on the development of BRICS countries,”
Dmitriev told RT.
“I’m completely convinced that the organization will
cooperate with other international financial institutions. The
intention is not to create a competitor to those
institutions,” he emphasized.
In a similar fashion the plan to use local currencies for mutual
settlements among the BRICS countries is offering an alternative
to hard currencies, especially in situations when member have
limited access to the international capital markets.
“One of the goals of creating the New Development Bank is to
create, in parallel with existing hard currencies, the mechanism
which will allow our country to finance joint projects in local
currencies,” Dmitriev said.
READ MORE: New Development Bank BRICS may approve
first loan by April, 2016 – President Kamath
While the New Development Bank is designed to help finance
investment projects and facilitate trade between BRICS countries
in local currencies, the nations also established a $100 billion
currency reserve pool opportunity to provide each other financial
assistance in case of problems with their balance of payments.
The New Development Bank president Kundapur Vaman Kamath
confirmed to RT that a “significant part” of the bank’s
activity could be carried out in local currencies.
“I have not applied my mind as to what effect it will have on
other currencies,” Kamath told RT. “But as far as our
local currencies are concerned, our own countries are concerned,
that will substantially reduce any exchange risk.”
“I think clearly setting up of this bank is also a signal
that developing countries are now able to stand on their feet in
their own way and set up their own institutions,” Kamath
added. “And we are really looking at expanding the membership
base in the future.”