Over 400 signatures against the raise of tariffs by natural monopolies were gathered at YABLOKO’s picket by the Economic Ministry building conducted under the slogan “[Minister] Nabiullina, blowing of tariffs provokes population’s patience!”
The leader of the YABLOKO party and its faction in the Moscow City Duma Sergei Mitrokhin participated in the campaign. All the passers-by could leave their signatures at the table by the Mayakovsky monument in the centre of Moscow under a petition to the President of Russia demanding immediate measures for reduction of natural monopolies’ tariffs. They could also ask Mitrokhin questions. In one hour Mitrokhin alone gathered 60 signatures.
“We have chosen this place for conducting our action on purpose, thus YABLOKO expresses its protest in view of the Economic Ministry plans to raise gas prices for enterprises by 15% and by 5% for the population,” said YABLOKO’s leader. Mitrokhin also noted that the raise of tariffs for enterprises will involve growth of tariffs in the electrical energy sector functioning mainly on gas, and this will inevitably affect consumer prices.
Pensioners who prevailed among those who signed the petition complained that growth of tariffs on communal services considerably exceeded the scanty increase in pensions, while students who also joined the campaign stated that renting an apartment became impossible due to the rise of communal services prices.
“Could you tell our viewers what is your opinion concerning the growth of tariffs?” asked the YABLOKO TV video operator one of those who was signing the petition. “Unfortunately we are engaged in this,” said an anonymous young man waving toward the Ministry.
Such actions against growth of tariffs also took place in many Russian cities (St.Petersburg, Kaliningrad, Saratov, Perm, Ekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk, etc) within the framework of YABLOKO’s campaign. A mass-scale meeting took place in Moscow on April 11, and on April 25 activists of the YABLOKO Youth Organisation conducted an unsanctioned action by the Gazprom building (photos ).
See more photos at the Moscow YABLOKO web-site
See also:
Housing and Utilities Reform
Anti-Monopoly Legislation
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