State Duma to Consider Bill on Raising Electricity Charges without Permission

A bill has been introduced to the State Duma preventing regional energy committees from raising electricity charges on consumers without government permission. A Rosbalt correspondent was informed of this by the press office of the Fatherland-All Russia party today. Those in favour of the bill are calling for an alteration to the existing law whereby changes in electricity prices will require prior permission from the government body on regulating natural monopolies.

In March 2003 the United Russia party organised a collection of signatures of Russian citizens opposed to unreasonable changes in electricity prices. 2.65 million people signed the document that was eventually presented to the Russian government.