The Government has reported on the implementation of the President’s instruction No. Pr-1293 dated June 11, 2013 (Sub-Item A of Item 2) on creating a mechanism for exerting public control over the drafting and fulfilment of the investment programmes of natural monopolies with consumers’ participation.
The Government reports, in part, that this mechanism and proposals on the operation of consumer councils at the Federal Tariff Service, regional energy commissions and natural monopolies provide for compulsory consideration of consumers’ opinions on the adoption of tariffs on the goods and services of natural monopolies. Taking this into account and guided by the provisions of Presidential Executive Order No. 596 dated May 7, 2012 on introducing a mechanism for the technological and price auditing of leading investment projects, the Government and entrepreneur associations have organised work on the comprehensive analysis of the issue and streamlining relevant legislation.
In part, in line with the legislation, the Government ensures free access to information on the regulated activities of natural monopolies.
It has been established that a natural monopoly cannot categorise this information as a commercial secret.
The Government has defined what bodies should exercise state control over compliance with standards of disclosing information.
The Government has established mechanisms for bringing to responsibility for the failure to provide information or for the provision of patently false information on the operation of natural monopolies.
The Government has established regulatory acts envisaging mechanisms for the participation of entrepreneurs in the expert review of proposals on establishing tariffs and their limits on the services of natural monopolies.
The rules for regulating prices (tariffs) on heat, water and electricity supply and water discharge endorsed by the Government allow consumers and other interested parties to provide an expert conclusion on tariff proposals. This expert conclusion shall be enclosed in the file of the regulating body on tariff regulations.
The review by the Federal Tariff Service of contradictions on tariffs arising between executive bodies, district councils and consumers is a major element in the formation of tariffs on the services of natural monopolies.
The Government’s resolution endorsing a plan of measures (road map) on promoting competition and improving the anti-monopoly policy provides for the creation of uniform state portal publishing information revealed by natural monopolies and regulating bodies. To achieve this, the Government intends to automate managerial and regulatory processes and simultaneously make this information available to the public.
The introduction and improvement of the mechanism for independent public technical and price auditing and the elaboration and implementation of investment programmes and projects are a major element in ensuring the objective and justified discussion of investment programmes and tariffs of natural monopolies with the participation of society and consumers.
With this aim in view, the Government has organised the conduct of public technological and price auditing of the major investment projects with state participation that are being carried out by the state-owned Russian Motorways.
In addition, the Government has sent major natural monopolies directives instructing them to elaborate in cooperation with the Government’s Expert Council a draft corporate standard and to submit it for consideration by boards of directors before November 15, 2013. This standard should provide, starting in 2014, for holding mandatory technological and price auditing of their investment projects and those of their subsidiaries or dependent companies. This applies to projects with an estimated cost of over 1.5 billion roubles each during all stages – drafting and designing, implementing (including stage-by-stage), putting into operation and maintaining projects. This standard should also provide for procedures on the public and expert discussion of the preparations for technological auditing, holding such auditing and auditing results.
The Government has included the said mechanism as compulsory for such projects as the construction of the Moscow-Kazan high-speed motorway and modernization of the Baikal-Amur and Trans-Siberian railways.