The meeting was attended by the following Government officials: Deputy Energy Minister Vyacheslav Sinyugin, Deputy Finance Minister Alexander Novak, Deputy Justice Minister Dmitry Kostennikov, Federal Tariff Service Head Sergei Novikov, NP Sovet Rynka Board Chairman Dmitry Ponomaryev, state and commercial energy companies' representatives, as well as the Ivanovo Region Fist Deputy Governor Pavel Konkov.
The meeting discussed the causes of sharp retail market price increases on electricity, particularly for small and medium-sized consumers.
It was noted that charges for small and medium-sized consumers had increased manifold, while the unregulated wholesale prices had decreased by 30%.
The aim of the meeting was to work out urgent measures to improve the efficiency of the tariff and pricing policies in retail electricity market (capacities), develop long-term fixed-price agreements, and eliminate disproportionate prices, precluding the growth of small and medium-sized businesses.
It was particularly emphasised that the electricity pricing policy should be more transparent and open; the meeting also stressed that retail consumers should not suffer from the change of electricity distribution companies.
It was decided to introduce, in the shortest timeframe possible, appropriate amendments to the Russian Federation Government resolutions, as well as to the government agencies' acts, regulating the wholesale and retail electricity market, based on the adopted decisions.
These amendments will affect the retail price formation procedure in wholesale electricity market (capacity); the procedures for determining the electricity output sold at unregulated prices under the existing price liberalisation schedule; the procedures of establishing standard agreement terms between the main retail market participants; and other procedures.