Businesses are offered insurance policies as fire protection.
The issue of introducing compulsory fire insurance to companies will have to be settled within the next few months. A corresponding draft law has been idle in the State Duma for several years. But the deputies' attitude towards it will possibly change since Prime Minister Vladimir Putin supported the Emergency Situations Ministry's initiative at its nationwide meeting yesterday.
"I hope that the ministry will take a most active part in elaborating and introducing modern economic methods of ensuring safety. I am referring to mandatory liability insurance, a safety audit, and a better system of technical regulation," Vladimir Putin said at the meeting yesterday. That means that the ministry's head, Sergei Shoigu, received the prime minister's official support in this complicated issue.
In his speech, the minister referred to resolving the problem of insurance mechanisms in legislation as "the most important issue of the year." Sergei Shoigu added that the State Duma would consider the draft law stipulating that owners of potentially hazardous facilities should have their liability to third persons insured in the first quarter of 2010. The law is most likely to come into effect on January 1, 2011. It will make companies' expenditures rise. It is still unclear how high insurance companies will set premiums for fire insurance. However, Sergei Shoigu believes that the cost will be reasonable.
Meanwhile, budget spending on the Federal Fire Service has increased by more than ten times over the past seven years -- from 11 billion roubles in 2002 to 118 billion roubles in 2009. Besides, companies remunerate the government's running costs for 25,000 so-called contractual fire units. These come along with about a thousand industrial facilities that are crucial to the country's national security and settlements with almost two million residents.
The minister will not consider introducing compulsory fire insurance for households, although he does believe that the measure is reasonable. Giving his comments to Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Sergei Shoigu pointed out that that 138,000 Russians lose their homes annually due to fires. This is the equivalent of a small town. That is why he called upon owners of residences to demonstrate a collective conscience and pay monthly for the insurance.
As we all know, properties can vary considerably -- from elite apartments to modest flats in a Khrushchev-era building. Sergei Shoigu said that the insurance premiums would also be differentiated: approximately 60 kopeks per square metre in an up-market block of flats and 30 kopeks in a Khrushchev-era building.
When our correspondent asked if the ministry's financing would be changed if this type of insurance were introduced, the minister replied negatively. The ministry will find a use for the funds that it currently spends on fighting fires and rescuing people. As for the insurance coverage, the minister would like to see it spent on equipping entrances in apartment blocks with fire protection devices.
The minister believes that compulsory life and health insurance should be introduced in other spheres -- for example, extreme tourism. He already voiced the initiative a few months ago. However, the tone of the statement was mollified. "We would like them (mountain climbers – Nezavisimaya Gazeta) to at least register with us," Shoigu stressed. He sincerely wondered why tax payers should pay for expensive ministry operations in rescuing extreme tourists. Extreme tourism is a joy that one has to pay for.
However, things are not so simple. Russian rescuers took part in 28 international humanitarian operations last year. They are currently rescuing earthquake victims from ruins in Haiti, absolutely free of charge. If foreigners have the right to be rescued at the expense of Russian tax payers, why would Russian citizens be denied the same service? Experts are baffled by the ministry's attempts to charge the rescued. "If the rescuers render commercial rescue services, then why should the ministry be financed from the budget," economists say.
By Igor Naumov