Dollar Ban Leaves Russian Minister Tongue-Tied
Dollar Ban Leaves Russian Minister Tongue-Tied
Quote:
Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov invented a new unit of currency on Friday: "That thing your are not allowed to say."
Russia's parliament is in the process of adopting a law that will fine government ministers for saying "dollar" when they could have used the word "rouble" instead.
But old habits die hard. Telling reporters about a contract to supply fighter aircraft to Venezuela, Ivanov said the deal had "a value of more than one billion of that thing that you are not allowed to say anymore."
The rouble fell into neglect during years of galloping inflation and many Russians are now more conformable quoting large sums in dollars. Parliament is introducing the ban to try to restore pride in the national currency.
Kind of a Soviet-style law isn’t it?
