Antimonopoly bodies of Dagestan bring electricity suppliers to responsibility

The supervisory bodies, monopolists and the Municipal Unitary Enterprise (MUE) "City Electric Power Grid" should be responsible for absence of electric power in dwelling districts of Makhachkala. This was stated on January 17 at a press conference by Kurban Kubasaev, head of the Department of the Federal Antimonopoly Service (DFAS) for Dagestan.

"According to the amendments brought into the Code of the Russian Federation on Administrative Offences, starting this January the penalty rates are defined not by the floor salary as before, but as a percentage of the turnaround assets of the enterprise," Mr Kubasaev said.

The first fines have already imposed on the companies, which introduced last year restrictions on electric power supplies to diligent consumers of Makhachkala.

"The fines were appointed on the basis of the court decision of the cassation instance. The illegality of actions of these companies was confirmed by the courts of three instances," the head of the Antimonopoly Department said.

As to the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) "Dagestan Power Sale Company", the DFAS for Dagestan is considering another case on illegality of the contract concluded with the consumer.

An administrative case was also initiated against the MUE "Makhachkala City Electric Power Grid", in whose actions the DFAS for Dagestan has also found violations of the antimonopoly legislation.

"Not only communal services are guilty of the situation we have today in Makhachkala. What were the actions of the control-supervisory and law enforcement bodies, who shall supervise the work of communal services, and of suppliers of goods and services?" asks the head of the antimonopoly agency, having added that the law defines responsibility also for inactivity, in particular, in preparation of communal services for winter.