| The legislative and executive authorities have
almost resolved the emerging
contradictions in energy sector reform.
According to the Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council, Valery
Goreglyad, the tripartite commission of the working group responsible
for finalising the package of draft laws on reforms in the electricity
sector will prepare draft laws for the first reading approximately
by the end of August.
Vice-President of the Russian Stock Exchange Union Anatoli Rabinovich,
who is also an expert in the YABLOKO faction and participated
in the work of the tripartite commission, told our correspondent
from "Delovoi Peterburg" that the meeting [of the tripartite commission]
had managed to settle only some of the debatable points, but far
from all of them. Another meeting of the tripartite commission
is scheduled for August 26. Clearly this represents the last opportunity
for all interested parties to "push through" their proposals.
However, according to Anatoli Rabinovich, the commission managed
to persuade the government, represented at the meeting by Deputy
Minister for Economic Development and Trade Andrei Sharonov, to
include in the draft laws the principles for forming the generating
markets, define clearly the guaranteed supplier and its duties,
as well as the underlying principles for the functioning of the
wholesale electricity market.
At the same time the deputies will insist that the Federal Grid
Company and system operator be fully owned by the state and introduce
anti-monopoly norms in the law (i.e., ban any combination of monopolistic
and competitive activities when entering the wholesale and retail
markets, limit energy monopolists, prevent an excess increase
in tariffs, restrict vertically integrated companies and define
the zonal borders of electricity markets).
In addition the representatives of YABLOKO propose establishing
the following structure for regional Grid companies: 33% for municipal
bodies, 33% for regional and 34% for federal Grid companies.
The Government has still not decided whether the state should
own 100% of the shares or simply a controlling block.
See also:
Energy
Sector Reform
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