Data Extraction

The government has taken steps to replace wheat imports lost due to border closures with purchases from Central Asia. 

EGP20 billion stock-purchase program has been launched by the Central Bank.

No amount/estimate: (i) March 20, The limit for electronic payments via mobile phones has been raised to EGP30,000/day and EGP100,000/month for individuals, and to EGP40,000/day and EGP200,000/per week for corporations; (ii) March 29, The central bank set a daily limit on all ATM disbursement per card to be EGP5,000, and limits to cash withdrawal and deposits at a bank branch to be EGP10,000 per individual, and EGP50,000 per corporate; (iii) The cost of transactions in the EGX will be reduced from 0.15% to 0.125% and from 0.15% to 0.05% for non-residents and Egyptian residents, respectively, and all spot transactions on EGX will be exempt from stamp duty; (iv) The National Bank of Egypt and Bank Misr announced a one-year deposit program with a 15% interest rate.

(i) Capital Flow Management Measures (CFMs) that were already in place since August 2019 have largely protected Argentina so far from the impact of capital outflows; (ii) Adopted anti-price gouging policies, including price controls for food and medical supplies and ringfencing of essential supplies, including certain export restrictions on medical supplies and equipment and centralization of the sale of essential medical supplies.; (iii) April 28, Ordered that the Common Investment Funds (FCI) in pesos must invest at least 75% of their assets in financial instruments and negotiable securities issued in the Argentine Republic; (iv) Extended deadline of filing financial statements for small and medium-sized corporations; (v) May 16, extended validity of Maximum Prices until June 20; (vi) May 18, suspended price increases mobile and fixed telephony, Internet and pay TV services until August 31; (v) May 19, set the domestic price of a barrel of oil at USD45 with the objective of reactivating the national hydrocarbon industry, guaranteeing the continuity of jobs and promoting self-sufficiency.

May 14, Temporary restrictions on the export of medical masks, gloves and goggles, biohazard suits, medical robes, antiviral medicines, gauze and other medical products.

(i) On March 18, the Financial Market Authority prohibited short sales for one month following the massive drop in prices on the Vienna Stock Exchange due to betting on covered share price losses and and extended the prohibition to May 18 on April 16; (ii) No amount/estimate: May 18: Ended the restrictions on short sales beginning midnight of the same day.

(i) March, Establishment of the Coronavirus Response Fund under the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan of March 19, 2020. The government itself is asking for donations from citizens, organizations, and businesses to help it deal with the disease in Azerbaijan. According to President Ilham Aliyev, the basic goal of the fund is for the people of Azerbaijan to within the limits of their capability, demonstrate their civil solidarity and generosity which are foundations of their society. The fund has raised AZN112 million as of April 19; (ii) April, The CBA and commercial banks have shifted to a seven-day work week, including to allow individuals and businesses to convert their manat holdings into foreign currency; (iii) April 23, The CBA also announced that it will extend its guarantees on insurance premiums.

(i) March 30, Belgian Debt Agency issued a new syndicated EURO benchmark bond maturing October 22nd, 2027 (OLO 91) in the near future and increased the number of OLO auctions by also organizing auctions on the penultimate Monday of May, August and October; (ii) March 30, Belgian Debt Agency stops buying back OLOs maturing in 2022; (iii) April 8, The Federal Debt Agency announces that it has accepted the offers for the auction of Treasury certificates of today for a total amount of EUR 2.280 billion; (iv) Ban on short-selling stocks until May 17; (v) May 12, the Financial Services and Markets Authority agreed to not take action against companies that will not be able to comply with mandatory data provision on code of conduct risk models by June 30, 2020; (vi) May 18: Suspended the ban on short selling; (vii) June 2: Extended the agreement on taxation of cross-border workers with Germany and Netherlands until June 30, 2020. [update]

(i) Office of Consumer Protection has published market price information of essential commodities as of March 11, to monitor and keep track of price movement in the market and provide information to consumers for informed purchase decision; (ii) March 24, A ban on select food product (e.g., betel leaf, betel nut) import from India has been imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19.

(i) With congress declaring a state of “public calamity” on March 20, the government’s obligation to comply with the primary balance target in 2020 has been lifted. (ii) Proposed a bill creating a separate budget (“war-budget”) to expedite fiscal relief assistance and authorize the central bank to buy and sell government and corporate debt securities among other extraordinary measures. (iii) Pandemic leads 76% of Brazil’s industrial sector to cut production. (iv) Brazil’s government lowered its 2020 economic outlook on Wednesday, forecasting a gross domestic product contraction of 4.7%, which would signal the country’s biggest economic crash in more than a century.

(i) April, The government has ordered the suspension of white rice exports, to secure domestic supplies; (ii) May 20, suspension of white rice exports has been lifted; (iii) June, The Royal Government will introduce Phase 1 of the IT business registration platform in early June 2020 to facilitate and promote business registration, especially to make it easy for those companies wishing to be registered to obtain loans from the Royal Government’s special financing program [update].

(i) CAD287 million to support rural businesses and communities by providing them with much-needed access to capital through the Community Futures Network. (ii) CAD250 million to assist innovative, early-stage companies that are unable to access other COVID-19 business supports through the Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP).

April 18, DKK3.5 billion in loans and equity provided to entrepreneurs and venture firms. The state investment fund (Vaekstfonden) will provide risky capital to start-ups and venture firm, facing difficulties in financing as private investors withdraw from the market. Available in 2020 only.

(i) April 8, The Commission is launching ESCALAR, a new investment approach, developed together with the European Investment Fund (EIF), that will support venture capital and growth financing for promising companies. In its pilot phase, ESCALAR will provide up to EUR300 million backed by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI); (ii) April 24, EIB also approved an equity investment worth EUR75 million for the German company Curevac, through the EIB's Infectious Disease Financing Facility; (iii) June 8, EUR174 million equity investments from the European Innovation Council (EIC) Accelerator Pilot funding to innovative startups and SMEs [update].

(i) March to April, ESMA, EU's securities and markets regulator, issued various statements to adjust compliance and reporting schedule, clarify accounting standard applications (e.g. IAS 8, IFRS 9, and IFRS 17), and ensure alignment of reporting requirements and supervisory practices in the EU; (ii) 26 April, Export restriction of critical COVID-related products [update as of 29 April].

(i) No monetary policy response. With the U.S. dollar its legal tender, the FSM does not have a central bank; and (ii) No exchange rate policy response, given that U.S. dollar is the legal tender of the FSM.

(i) June 6, Further capital funding of EUR250 million is proposed for Tesi (Finnish Industry Investment Ltd), to increase equity financing for companies [update]; (ii) June 6, Capital funding of EUR 150 million is proposed for strengthening the balance sheet of Finnish Minerals Group [update]; (iii) June 10, The EU Commission approved Finland's plans to contribute to the recapitalisation of Finnair, amounting to EUR286 million through the subscription of new shares by the State in the rights issue launched by Finnair on 10 June 2020 in the context of the coronavirus outbreak [update].