Govt to review RZD financial plan for 2017 in next two weeks - Artemyev
MOSCOW. Nov 24 (Interfax) - The Russian government will review the financial plan and investment program of OJSC Russian Railways (RZD) for 2017 in the next two weeks.
"Various serious issues arose about how this work needs to be formulated. The financial plan is only an expression of the processes, which take place at RZD. It was necessary to evaluate all these processes. For some there simply was not enough time and we decided to not to act rashly or hastily. A couple of meetings will proceed calmly, they will be held by deputy prime ministers responsible [for the sector], where all points and tasks will be finally set. We were told that this will be in the next two weeks," Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) head Igor Artemyev told journalists on Thursday after a government meeting, at which the railway monopoly's financial documents were considered originally.
"At the same time, the issue is quite serious. And it happens that even one task, if it is not set here, will end poorly. And this concerns enough existing tasks and important strategy issues for reform in railway transport, because [RZD's] path, represented by its management, shows very positive trends, and in the future it will be necessary to not spoil this, to correctly develop," the official said. At the same time, he said: "In the government, in general, there is a situation close to consensus." "This concerns the specification of several details, but important ones," the head of the FAS said, not stating precisely which details he had in mind.
Artemyev did not speak about the level of railway tariff indexation under discussion. "We will discuss this with you, when [the government makes] a decision. For now, there still is no final decision, the discussion is underway," he said.
