4 Dec 2013 18:27

Putin says more steps needed to ease connections to power supplies

NOVO-OGARYOVO. Dec 4 (Interfax) -Russian President Vladimir Putin said further steps were needed to make it easier for businesses to connect to the power grids.

Small and medium businesses had long complained about "convoluted procedures and the sky-high cost of connecting to grids."

"This situation has dragged on for years without particular changes. The current situation cannot be described as ideal either, but the Energy Ministry has, as the result of coordinated actions by entrepreneurs and experts, finally succeeded in unraveling some bottlenecks," Putin said.

"Today we'll discuss further steps needed to improve the situation in this sphere," he said.