Rossiyskaya Gazeta: “Prime minister sets much store by Internet”
Vladimir Putin confident that electronic trading will eliminate bribe-taking.
According to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, the internet will prove to be a valuable ally in the battle against corruption. At a government meeting on December 17, Putin remarked that electronic trading would prevent officials from taking kickbacks.
The prime minister announced the approval of a list of goods to be purchased for state needs online. "This is an important anti-corruption tool, since electronic trading rules out personal contact between government officials and suppliers while placing the order," he explained. In addition, electronic auctions will also help the government cut back on costs.
The state and municipal services web portal has already been launched, Putin said. More government services will soon be made available online, he added, warning that tight schedules had been approved for each ministry and agency and all the deadlines must be met.
Moreover, it's not only the federal ministries and agencies that should learn to utilise the internet. Regional and municipal governments will soon have to avail themselves of the opportunity as well.
"Russians must be given equal opportunities to use state and municipal services regardless of where they live. The services should be convenient, and they should be provided without any delay or abuse of the procedure," the prime minister said.
Apart from state services, housing and utilities fees are a problem for many Russians. At a recent government meeting, the ministers discussed the main points of the state pricing policy in the infrastructure sector. In the prime minister's opinion, the government is constantly searching for a rational balance between the providers of housing and utilities services and consumers' interests. Nevertheless, most decisions are made in a hurry. Putin did his best to dissociate himself from the issue by explaining that problems such as improper or unpredictable tariff policies arise mainly at the regional and municipal levels. "Our goal is to have all rates set using reasonable and transparent methodologies. They should be economically justified, affordable for customers, and efficient for providers," he said. He went on to insist that all bills should include figures taken from metres, otherwise people would have to pay for more than they actually consume.
Whatever the case, the main points of the pricing policy in infrastructure are not binding in any way: all they really do is outline the government's philosophy in this economic segment.
As for practical solutions, a bill has recently been drafted requiring thermal power plants to make fuel reserves for the coming autumn and winter in advance. "The law will clearly delineate the authority of businesses and the government and responsibilities for stable and reliable heat and power supplies," Putin said, noting that the recent interruptions in supplies were good examples of ineffective management in the sector.
Another important issue on the government meeting's agenda was the overpricing of pharmaceuticals. Russia's Healthcare and Social Development Ministry recently introduced amendments to the law regulating the marketing of pharmaceuticals.
Deputy Prosecutor General Yevgeny Zabarchuk told RG that prices on certain drugs surged four or five-fold this year, according to a monitoring survey that his legal authority carried out on the sector. "The government has neglected to control pricing in this sector, which has led to abuses and illegal activity by certain entrepreneurs," Zabarchuk explained.
The government is not only using its supervisory bodies to pursue its economic policy, however; it is also implementing federal targeted programmes and investment programmes despite many experts' doubts about their effectiveness (the cash execution of the federal targeted programmes stood at 73.4% as of December 1).
The prime minister called for tighter control over the quality of the implementation of federal programmes this year and in the future, in order to ensure that all the deadlines are met and funds are used effectively. As for the country's budget for 2010, he said that the financing of planned projects should begin as early as January, without any delays or procrastination.
Pierre Sidibe
