“How many times have they told the world …” These opening lines from Krylov’s fable simply suggested themselves during the speech of the head of the Ministry of Construction I. Fayzullin at the Federation Council of the Russian Federation.
How many journalists, experts and even not the smallest officials called on the industry leadership to conduct a full-fledged audit of domestic housing and communal services tariffs! However, the Ministry of Construction pretends that they do not hear these calls. And there are persistent rumors around the country that people are brazenly stealing from housing and communal services. But the senators called on the minister for a “government hour” to ask direct questions.
Why, for example, are utility tariffs constantly rising, and pipes are constantly flowing? Where do the ever-increasing payments of tenants go? There was, of course, no clear response from the parliamentary rostrum. Probably, it is high time to ask other organizations about this: the FAS, the Accounting Chamber of the Russian Federation, the Prosecutor General’s Office…
“The Ministry of Construction is preparing for the full launch of a comprehensive housing and communal services modernization program,” the head of the department said. “This program has been in effect since 2023 and provides for the allocation of subsidies to the subjects of the Russian Federation in the amount of 500 million rubles each to replace dilapidated utility networks.” It was said that 30 billion rubles were allocated for these purposes in 2023, and 42 billion rubles in 2024. However, from 2025, the financing of the program should “reach full capacity” and grow to
150 billion rubles a year. And for this, all regions must approve their own plans. According to the Minister, this has not happened yet. And if they don’t approve it? Will there still be “black holes” where people’s money is flowing? There are too many magicians feeding in the housing and communal services system!
Irek Fayzullin noted that attention to the housing and communal services modernization program will be paid “very seriously, maybe even to the detriment of some other programs.” Experts explain this determination by the difficult situation in the industry. The average degree of deterioration of utility networks in the country is about 40%, and in some regions it reaches 80%. It was necessary to bring it to this, where were you looking?! And where did the 200 billion rubles that were allocated in 2023 for the modernization of housing and communal services through various support measures go?
Experts believe that the speed of network updates lags behind the pace of their deterioration, and the industry is chronically underfunded. Allegedly, according to official information, the need for investments is estimated at 4 trillion rubles for the period up to 2030. So the bill has already gone to trillions?..
Lavrenty Pavlov
Figure E. Crane.
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