The Federal Tariff Service (FTS) of Russia intends in summer to propose the government a draft directive to empower the administrations of the constituent subjects of the Russian Federation to set tariffs for regional companies included in the register of natural monopoly entities, FTS deputy head Vitaly Yevdokimenko told Interfax. "The draft directive is being developed and we expect to finish this work within two months," he said. The FTS has been talking about the need to entrust the approval of tariffs for small companies important at regional and municipal levels to the constituent subjects of the Russian Federation for two years now. "The scale of the regulator should be compatible with the size of the object of regulation," head of the Service Sergei Novikov said earlier. The transfer of powers will affect all industries where tariffs are established by the government such as transport, communications, electric power, housing and public utilities, gas and oil. In the transport area, the FTS annually revises tariffs for more than 100 airports and more than 300 ports. The draft government directive in question will be titled On the Procedure for the Executives of the Constituent Subjects of the Russian Federation to Participate in State Regulation of Tariffs and the Scope of State Regulation of Natural Monopolies to Be Performed by Them. |
