Volodin urges lawmakers to examine regional utility tariff increases

State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin urged lawmakers on October 14 to use their regional working week to examine differences in utility tariff increases across Russia.

Speaking at a parliamentary sitting, Volodin said the federal government’s decision provided for an annual increase of no more than 11.8% in the relevant component. He stressed that tariff decisions were made regionally and that increases above that benchmark required justification.

He proposed comparing regions where increases were around 11% with those where they reached 22%. The reported remarks did not identify specific regions corresponding to those figures. Volodin also recalled the Federal Antimonopoly Service’s powers to reduce tariffs.

Separately, he called for an assessment of municipal enterprises and concession arrangements in heating and water supply. He cited Moscow, St Petersburg, Kazan and Tyumen as examples of effective municipal operations.

Volodin raised the possibility of moving away from concessions towards state enterprises and state control. This was a proposal for discussion. He did not announce an adopted decision to end concessions or change particular tariffs.