In accordance with the planned changes of utility rates and natural monopoly service tariffs coming into effect on 1 July 2013, the Ministry of Regional Development and the Federal Agency for Construction, Housing and Utilities have enhanced control over the implementation by regional authorities of executive orders issued by the President and the Government to prevent the average annual housing and utilities prices from growing more than 6%.
For this purpose, the utilities bills of Russian citizens will be checked. Regional authorities will send over utilities bills selected on the basis of representativeness to include at least three municipalities of varying types, each of them featuring different types of multi-apartment residential buildings. Bills will be monitored from July to October inclusive.
Deputy ministers responsible for federal districts are now explaining the details to the regional executive authorities via conference calls. During the conference calls, the regional authorities responsible for housing and utilities personally report on the measures taken to keep utility prices from rising by more than 6%, on preparations for the winter heating period and on work to inform the population.
The Ministry of Regional Development insists that all decisions taken by municipal authorities that may lead to a higher-than-6% rise in utilities prices should be approved by the executive authorities of the regions, the Federal Tariff Service and the Ministry of Regional Development.
Source: Ministry of Regional Development
