MOSCOW -- A World Bank team came to Moscow for more loan talks Monday as the battered Russian ruble headed toward a record low since Russia's financial crisis erupted last summer.
The World Bank team was to reconsider the terms of a earlier promised $1.5 billion loan for structural reform, as well as a $800 million social reform credit and a $800 million loan to streamline the ailing coal industry, the Interfax news agency reported.The team will make its recommendations to the World Bank board of directors later this month.
The loans are part of an IMF-led $22.6 billion bailout package that was agreed upon before economic crisis forced the government to devalue the ruble and default on some debts in August.
Russia is also seeking to reschedule at least a portion of $17.5 billion in foreign debt payments due next year. A government delegation will leave for talks on debt rescheduling with the Paris Club of creditor nations on Dec. 9, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported Monday.
The ruble plunged again Monday, hitting 20.4 to the dollar, down 0.8 rubles from Friday.
The ruble sold for more than 20 to the dollar shortly after the country's economic crisis hit in mid-August before making a mild comeback. The ruble was at about 6 to the dollar before the crisis.
With Russian financial markets virtually wiped out by the crisis, the ruble has become the main indicator of economic confidence. Its fall reflects fears that the government will flood the economy with new cash to pay its huge debts -- a move certain to trigger high inflation.
The Russian government wants to keep inflation at 30 percent next year, but the Central Bank conceded that "certain conditions" may push the inflation to up to 55 percent, Interfax reported.