Parliament and Cabinet fail to agree on role of regions in energy sector

The Russian government and parliament have not came to an agreement,regarding the enlargement of authority for regional officials to controlthe electricity sector, Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council ValeryGoreglya announced today. He made this statement after a meeting of thetrilateral conciliatory commission, consisting of representatives of theState Duma, the Federation Council and the government, which wasestablished to elaborate on bills for reforms in the electricity sector.The Federation Council's official noted that deputies from the lower houseof parliament agreed with senators that regional energy commissions shouldpreserve the right to regulate electricity tariffs. Parliamentarians alsoproposed that regional executive authorities should participate in theprocess of appointing heads of these regional energy commissions.Meanwhile, the government called for centralized energy prices and proposedto establish branches of the federal energy commissions in regions.Another meeting of the conciliatory commission will be held on September 2,2002..