VITALY KOROLEV ABOUT INCIDENTS OF EXCEEDING THE PAYMENT INDEX FOR HOUSING-AND-UTILITY SERVICES FOR THE POPULATION

In 2020, the size of the fee paid for utility services by the population in a particular region of Russia can be exceeded only in 55 municipalities

“At the same time, all such cases are occasional and are based on reasonable grounds, for instance, concession agreements, investment programmes or integrated development programmes”, said Deputy Head of FAS Vitaly Korolev at a research-to-practice conference on “The Housing Code of the Russian Federation: enforcement practice, legislative  outlook”.

Forexample, the indices for changing the payments of physical persons for utility services on average by the regions of Russia are set by the Government of the Russian Federation. FAS, in its turn, monitors whether these indices are observed [1].

Vitaly Korolev explained that “in 2019, incidents of exceeding the maximum allowed deviation were registered in 646 municipalities, and in 2015 – in 1126. The changes are possible due to introduction of mandatory approval of such overruns with FAS when indices are set for 2020 and subsequent years [2]”.

He also informed about the results of FAS work in regulating tariffs for removal solid municipal waste.

“By the end of 2019, we managed to decrease the average costs of services per person per month from nearly 93 RUB to 86 RUB”, emphasized Vitaly Korolev. “Although some difficulties in this field remain, the Government is able to work towards the intended direction”.

Deputy Head of FAS pointed out that amendments to the Housing Code of the Russian Federation are passed to execute the Road Map for Developing Competition and the 2018 – 2020 National Competition Development Plan [3]. They triggered positive changes in selection of managing companies for residential houses, where all premises are owned by the state. Now selection takes place through tenders organized by municipalities.

According to Vitaly Korolyov, the Road Map for Developing Competition also eliminates the issue with selecting managing companies for the so-called “multifunctional complexes”, with premises is the form of “apartments” and “lofts”.

“Life does not stand still, such buildings are constructed, people buy real estate property there, and the questions of managing such residential houses are advancing to the forefront. There is a need to give a regulatory definition to these concepts”, underlined Deputy Head of FAS.

1] In accord with No 400 Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of 30.04.2014.

[2] Under № 756 Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation “On amendments to the Basis of indices on changing the fee paid by the population for utility services in the Russian Federation and invalidating particular provisions of some acts of the Government of the Russian Federation” of 13.06.2019.

[3] № 4-FZ Federal Law “On amendments to Articles 161 and 163 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation” of 28.01.2020.