Enforcement practice of FAS and its regional Offices was discussed in Sebastopol

FAS has become a body of preventative control. The number of opened antimonopoly cases has dropped down sharply from 9,000 in 2015 to 4,000 in 2016. The statement was made by Head of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) Igor Artemiev at public hearings in Sebastopol on the results of FAS enforcement practice under the frame of the reform of the control-and-supervision activity.

Head of FAS also pointed out that at the same time the number of warnings on violations of the antimonopoly law went up from 2,300 in 2015 to 5,400 in 2016. “Over 85% warnings issued by FAS are executed”, informed Igor Artemiev.

At the public hearings businessmen asked a lot of questions regarding public procurement, trade and antimonopoly regulation.

Responding to the complaints of businessmen, Igor Artemiev proposed to form an integrated call-centre on public procurement with participation of e-sites for prompt consultations on public procurement for businessmen and the authorities.

Head of FAS reiterated that the Antimonopoly Service is a fervent supported of  centralizing public procurement in Russia: “Doctors should treat patients, teachers teach their students, and soldiers defend their Motherland rather than deal with procurement”. At the same time Igor Artemiev pointed out that excessive lot bundling should be avoided. He explained: “Our task is to carefully pass between Scylla and Charybdis in terms of centralizing procurement activity and lot bundling”.

Head of the antimonopoly body promised entrepreneurs to draft the relevant explanations of FAS Presidium on procurement in Crimea to make sure that the ordering parties do not set unreasonable requirements for supplier experience in the course of tender procedures. Such experience should not exceed 1 – 3 years for companies in Crimea.

Igor Artemiev also mentioned that thee is a “hole in the law on public sales” and that regulation of procedures in this field should be as detailed as in public procurement.

Answering a pressing question for Sebastopol on the absence of layout schemes for advertising structures, Igor Artemiev clarified that FAS explanations on the issue are available: in such situations the local authorities must prolong the valid contracts without tenders.

Head of FAS also drew attention of businessmen that if decisions of any regional FAS Office deviate from the common practice, decisions of FAS Central Office or judicial rulings, it is an “emergency” and he suggested to actively approach FAS Appeal body with regard to all such incidents.