Volodin Calls for Strengthened Government Oversight on Regional Utility Tariff Increases

© Государственная Дума / скриншот из видео

Vyacheslav Volodin, the Chairman of the State Duma, has called on the government to closely monitor the rising utility tariffs in Russian regions. The statement was made during the annual report of the cabinet of ministers to the deputies.

According to Volodin, while utility tariff regulation formally falls under the responsibility of regional authorities, in practice, there are significant differences in approaches across regions. Some regions follow federal guidelines and previously adopted decisions, while others allow unjustified price increases, particularly for heating services.

Volodin noted that in some regions, tariff increases reach up to 30%, while in others they remain within the established guidelines. He stressed that such disparities cannot be ignored by the federal government.

The speaker recalled that the government had previously set a tariff adjustment at 1.7%, linked to changes in the VAT rate. Additionally, the State Duma, in cooperation with the government, has amended legislation to expand the powers of the Federal Antimonopoly Service in monitoring local tariff policies.