Vladimir Putin's statement regarding energy sector reform and the reform in the housing and communal sector made during the meeting with Chairman of the State Duma Gennadi Seleznyov on January 29, 2003, gave the impression that the President had not been provided with a full picture on the corresponding draft laws that had been submitted to parliament. This statement was made by Deputy Chairman of the Russian Democratic Party YABLOKO, deputy of the State Duma Sergei Mitrokhin.

"It is only logical that the President is concerned about developments in the energy sector and housing and communal sphere. However, he does not appear to be fully aware of the crux of the proposals in the government drafts," added Mitrokhin. - "They don't have anything in common with real reforms. For example, the package of amendments called " housing and communal sector reform" seeks to legitimise the fiscal measures carried out in the past. Consequently, it could result in a severe deterioration in the situation and provoke a new avalanche of disasters in the communal services sphere." Mitrokhin also thinks that the President has been given purposefully misleading information regarding the legislative initiatives proposed on behalf of the government accountable to the President.

Sergei Mitrokhin also reiterated that YABLOKO had developed an alternative concept of the housing and communal sector reform. YABLOKO thinks that the government should abolish the fiscal measures, shifting responsibility for the situation in the housing and communal sector to the population, and launch structural reforms aimed at demonopolising the sector, reporting on the real consumption of services and creating a collective consumer system. "Only changes to the reform concept and the launch of structural reforms will enable Russia to avoid an avalanche of disasters in the communal services sector, and provide in future a modern and dynamic communal services sector," stated Mitrokhin.

See also:

Housing and Communal Reform

Energy Sector Reform