Entrepreneurs Call Upon Government To Prevent Rise In Prices For Electric Energy

The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE) has called upon the government to prevent a non-substantiated rise in the prices for the services of the natural monopolies. The letter, issued on Wednesday, from RUIE president Arkady Volsky to Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov says that the government at its session on Thursday will have to take a decision on the parameters of the changes in the next year's prices and tariffs of the natural monopolies. This decision, writes Arkady Volsky, "will largely determine whether the high economic growth rate will remain next year and whether we shall be able to keep the rise of the prices within the limit of 13 percent, as has been provided for by the draft budget for the next year." The letter cites the proposals by the natural monopolies - the Railways Ministry, the Unified Energy System of Russia and Gazprom on increasing the prices for their products and services next year. Arkady Volsky emphasises that these proposals by the natural monopolies, which "are very weakly substantiated at that," can have a negative influence on the Russian economy.