The Presidium of the Government of the Russian Federation at its meeting on April 13, 2009, adopted the following decisions on the items on its agenda.

1. Progress of the housing and utilities sector reform in Russia, performance results of the housing and utilities sector and the energy industry in autumn and winter 2008-2009, and preparations for the next autumn-winter season, 2009-2010.

1). The Government noted that the implementation of the measures it had adopted ensured a steady performance of housing and utility facilities in the majority of constituent entities of the Russian Federation in autumn and winter 2008-2009.

2). To proceed with the housing and utilities reform, the Ministry of Regional Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Development, the State Corporation The Housing and Utilities Reform Fund (hereafter cited as the Fund) along with the federal executive bodies concerned are to develop and submit by July 1, 2009 to the Government draft federal laws on introducing changes to the Russian legislation to abolish restrictions regarding:

the term for registering a block of flats as hazardous to give regional authorities an opportunity to apply for financial support rendered by the Fund as part of a regional targeted programme of relocating people from hazardous housing, provided that low-height construction technologies are used to carry out the aforementioned programme;

granting people, relocated in accordance with provisions of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, other housing under a social rent contract within the village or town area where corresponding hazardous housing is situated (at the consent of relocated people).

3). The Ministry of Regional Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Development, the State Corporation The Housing and Utilities Reform Fund along with the federal executive bodies concerned are to submit by June 1, 2009 to the Government coordinated proposals on introducing changes to the Russian legislation regarding:

phasing in the mechanism of regional and/or municipal authorities' returning allocations received from the Fund in case infringement of established terms of granting such financial support are found;

specifying the order of the Fund's granting financial support to relocate people from hazardous housing with a view to encouraging the development of low-height housing construction.

4). The Ministry of Regional Development, the Federal Tariff Service along with the regional executive bodies concerned are to adopt additional measures to strengthen control over establishing housing and utilities tariffs in regions of the Russian Federation in accordance with the Russian legislation:

The results of the efforts are to be reported to the Government in December 2009.

5). Following a relevant discussion, the Ministry of Regional Development, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Energy, the Federal Tariff Service along with the federal executive bodies concerned are to develop a comprehensive draft programme of housing and utilities reform and modernisation for the 2010-2020, and submit it to the Government before August 1, 2009 in line with the established procedure.

6). The Ministry of Energy, along with the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Federal Service for Supervision of Environment, Technology and Nuclear Management and other federal executive bodies concerned are to take organisational and technical measures to enhance fuel and energy companies' preparations for the autumn and winter 2009-2010 heating season.

The results of the work are to be reported to the Government by November 25, 2009.

7). The Ministry of Regional Development along with the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Federal Service for Supervision of Environment, Technology and Nuclear Management and regional executive bodies are to ensure housing and utility facilities' timely preparations for autumn and winter 2009-2010.

The results of the work are to be reported to the Government by November 25, 2009.

8). The Ministry of Regional Development along with the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Finance and the other federal executive bodies concerned are to set up an interdepartmental commission to monitor regional housing and utility facilities' preparations for autumn and winter 2009-2010.

9). The Ministry of Regional Development, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Federal Service for Supervision of Environment, Technology and Nuclear Management along with the federal executive bodies concerned are to prepare and submit to the Government by July 1, 2009 a draft regulatory legal act to outline a single order of estimating the readiness of energy providers and electric and thermal energy consumers for steady work in autumn and winter 2009-2010.

10). The Ministry of Regional Development is to publish regional authorities' efficiency ratings in the media:

following performance results in autumn and winter 2008-2009;

following the results of the housing and utilities reform in 2008-2009.

The Government considers it worthwhile to take into account the aforementioned ratings when preparing draft governmental decisions on providing federal budget subsidies to regional budgets to develop housing and utilities.

The results of the work are to be reported to the Government by June 20, 2009.

11). The Government recommended that the regional executive bodies along with local authorities are:

to finish the development of comprehensive programmes for utility facilities' modernisation;

to encourage the development of competitiveness in housing stock management and servicing through the development of a private managing companies market;

to promote the development of utility companies' property management system through the use of concession agreements and other mechanisms of state/private partnership;

to develop regional programmes for boosting housing and utility companies' energy efficiency;

to ensure gradual transition to utility bill calculations based on individual meter readings.

The Ministry of Regional Development is to summarise all data regarding these issues and report to the Government in the first quarter of 2010.

2. Signing of an oil cooperation agreement between the Russian Government and the Government of the People's Republic of China.

The Government approved a draft executive order on this issue following a discussion.

3. Financing in 2009 of proactive measures to reduce workplace injuries and professional diseases and to provide free resort and recreational services to people employed in harmful or hazardous jobs.

The Government approved a draft resolution on this issue.

Moscow,

April 23, 2009

* Decisions on the items on the agenda are made with due account of the remarks and proposals expressed at the Government meeting and are issued as official documents of the Government.