Press Release, 19.03.2021

Photo: Dmitry Permyakov / Photo by the Pskov Yabloko Press Service

Dmitry Permyakov, a deputy of the Pskov City Duma from Yabloko and Deputy Chairman of the Pskov branch of Yabloko, appealed to the Pskov department of the Federal Anti-Monopoly Service with a request to give a legal assessment of the procurement for the production and placement of image-building video clips about the work of local self-government bodies of Pskov on television. A competition for such procurement is being held by the city parliament. Permyakov believes that only state television and radio channels fit the established technical requirements, consequently citizens will not be able to receive objective information about the work of the authorities from non-state channels.

Dmitry Permyakov also notes that the initial minimum contract price is 1.800.000 roubles, and these are funds from the Pskov budget for 2021 – 2022, provided for the Pskov City Duma “for other non-programmed expenses for general city purposes”.

According to Permyakov, the criteria specified in the appendix imply that this should be the media where ownership is partly shared with state authorities or local self-government bodies.

“I believe that the technical requirements were prepared with the expectation that the competition would be won by some television and radio channel that distributes its broadcasting in all municipalities of the Pskov region, in which the share of ownership of the state or municipality will amount to 51 per cent or more.

This circumstance will allow the customer of an open competition to receive image-building materials made in a positive and most convenient way, which, most likely, will not reflect the actual state of affairs. Residents of Pskov may become the injured party, who will receive deliberately distorted information about ​​the work of local authorities,” Dmitry Permyakov wrote in his letter.

The Pskov City Duma has placed a competition for the production and placement of 90 minutes of image-building video clips on the public procurement website on 4 March. The purchase attracted the attention of independent media outlets.

The contract runs that such videos are needed “to strengthen the positive image of the city of Pskov, increase the citation index of the city of Pskov and positive information on the activities of local authorities in the city of Pskov.”