Respected Vladimir Vladimirovich,
The Bureau of the Central Council of the Yabloko
Association notes that the Government of the Russian
Federation has expeditiously reacted to the proposal
of the Yabloko faction of November 22, 2000 on budget
loans to resolve the energy crisis in Maritime Territory.
However, it remain unclear how well protected these
funds will be from improper use. At the same time
to date the Government has adopted no actions to prevent
such situations in future. The critical situation
with preparations for the heating season has recurred
annually and constantly deteriorates. This is attributable
primarily to the poor quality of the state and local
government in the regions and also the lack of federal
control over the provision by the regional and local
authorities of the vitally important needs of the
population. This explains the unpreparedness of the
networks, insufficient reserves of fuel oil and coal
of the municipal heating stations, the extremely high
accumulated debt of energy suppliers and the lack
of requisite financial resources.
At state level the problem of the compliance of the
qualifications of
federal, regional and local management with the requirements
of their
posts,
as well as the proper use of the funds of the regional
and local budget,
has
not been raised.
This year the energy crisis has manifested itself
in the most acute form
in
Maritime Territory.
It is clear to us all that the administration of the
Territory is unable
to
govern this strategically important region of Russia.
Hundreds of
thousands
of Russian citizens have become hostages to this failure.
To avert such crises in Maritime Territory and other
zones facing high
energy risks, we propose introducing federal controls
over the
organisation
of preparatory measures for the heating season. Federal
controls imply:
1) the establishment within the RF Audit Chamber of
an energy control
commission,
including the participation of representatives of
the President in the
regions, the
Control and Auditing Department of the Presidential
Administration, the
Finance Ministry and
the financial treasury;
2) the development and introduction of a mandatory
order on preparatory
measures for the heating season in the regions at
high risk of an energy
crisis, including regular reports of the heads of
regions and the RAO
“Single Energy System” and permanent monitoring of
the situation
(including
that in the regions);
3) the signing of contracts on financing fuel purchases
for regions at
high
risks of energy crises solely through the federal
treasury;
4) audits by the Audit Chamber of the RF of proper
use of the funds of
local
and regional budgets in all the regions-recipients
of federal budget
funds;
5) expeditious sanctions against officials who violate
the order of
preparatory measures for the organisation of the heating
season.
The Yabloko Association considers it necessary to
normalise the
situation
with energy supplies
for Russian citizens. Here it is essential to prescribe
local solutions
for
the current problems with the organisation of heating
supplies, but also
to
prevent such energy crises in future.
The Bureau of the Central Council of the Yabloko Association
hereby
proposes
that you immediately start implementing the aforementioned
measures and
is
ready to provide its highly qualified experts for
the government to
achieve
these goals.
Grigory Yavlinsky
Chairman of the Yabloko Association
See also:
Address
On Urgent Measures to Overcome the Energy Crisis in
Maritime Territory, November 22, 2000
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