Vladimir Putin's opening remarks:
Good afternoon, colleagues.
Today we are here for a routine meeting of the Council of General Designers to discuss the safety of power generating facilities.
The investigation into the causes of the recent accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya Hydroelectric Power Plant has shown a number of reasons for the tragedy such as violations of technology regulations and the inadequate quality of equipment and of legislation.
This is why we must make prompt decisions to ensure fundamentally new standards of safety and reliability for power generating facilities. Obviously you have an exceptionally large role to play in this undertaking.
First of all, we must review and adopt modern safety standards and norms for each technological stage, from equipment design engineering to operation and maintenance.
We must also find a reasonable balance so as not to burden a facility with redundant instructions that could make equipment uncompetitive.
At the same time, we must determine adequate reliability standards for power generating facilities. Everything matters in this sphere, with priority given to safety.
We must also require the obligatory participation of manufacturers in the capital repair and technical maintenance of the equipment they produce, as well as requirements for the skills of professionals working at power generating facilities who should be regularly certified and be personally responsible for compliance with technical regulations.
And finally, we must determine a procedure that will prevent the owners and the management of such facilities from avoiding liability in ensuring the safety of these energy facilities.
I would like the Council members to take an active part in this comprehensive programme.
I would also like to spotlight another important question, energy savings, although it is not on our agenda today.
A new law on energy savings has been approved and come into force. It is all-encompassing legislation which will concern all aspects of life one way or another. We must now start to implement it without delay.
Last week I signed a Government resolution approving an action plan for energy savings. These are some of its guidelines.
Next year we will introduce the notion of an "energy efficiency category" for goods. Consumers can and must know whether they are buying energy efficient or energy inefficient equipment.
Second, we must seriously consider energy efficiency for the design and maintenance of residential blocks, social facilities, and office and industrial premises.
Of course, it is impossible to ensure radical improvements overnight, and the programme will be very expensive, as everyone knows.
Still, all new construction projects, reconstruction and capital repairs of buildings must proceed with due attention to energy efficiency.
The energy efficiency of the budget sector, natural/infrastructure monopolies, and large companies with state capital is another important objective. I have said more than once that the government must start with itself in terms of energy savings.
The consumption of fuel and energy in the budget sector must be cut by at least 15% within five years.
The policy of energy savings implies not only bans and restrictions, but also measures encouraging the rational and responsible use of resources.
In particular, budget-financed enterprises will be allowed to spend funds saved from the purchase of fuel and electricity to raise wages for their personnel or to buy new equipment.
Enterprises in the real economy sector will be offered investment tax loans and multiplying amortisation coefficients during the development or use of highly efficient equipment.
Colleagues, the measures we are taking will certainly produce a big positive effect, but first we must at least get rid of excessive spending, apparent losses that can and must be prevented.
To be able to move on, we must start thinking now about the future, the technology and innovations that will make our country one of the world's leaders that rely on energy saving and energy efficiency.
I would like you to speak about this issue. Let's get to work.