Two decades after Russia started to privatize its state-owned industriesand began to establish a financial market infrastructure, the Wild East era of capitalism is drawing to a close. Although the skulduggery associated with Russia’s oligarchies was largely curtailed some time ago, a reform of the country’s creaking market configuration has taken longer than expected.
"Market infrastructure changeshave been talked about for a decade, but things only began to happen two years ago when the government announced plans to make Moscow into a major international financial centre," says Alex Krunic, head of product sales for direct custody and clearing at JPMorgan, and a member of the international consulting committee on upgrading post-trade infrastructure at the National Settlement Depository (NSD).
Although the idea of a Moscow International Financial Centre (MIFC) to rival London or New York raises smiles among market participants – off the record: no one publicly criticizes the government’s plans – it has considerably boosted market infrastructure reform. "We’ve been pleased to see the efforts made in a number of financial market infrastructure areas," says Noel Edison, director, FI, insurance and financial services at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
"The reforms completed or close to completion are significant," agrees Krunic.