On the eve of tenders for construction contracts for Olympic objects is Sochi, State Duma members had a ‘government hour’ today, trying to find out how budget funds allocated for the 2014 Games will be distributed. Failing to know this, they understood that the ‘Olymoic pie’ would increase.
“We are very careful and are afraid of predicting any amounts”, Dmitry Kozak, Regional Development minister has told the lawmakers, after they asked him to specify construction expenses in Sochi. Neither he revealed the ratio of state budget and private funds to be invested. “The answer will be given after tender competitions”, Kozak said, promising the answer would be ready by the end of the year.
Curiosity of the MPs is not hard to understand. At first, an amount of 316,341 mln. rubles (roughly 13 bln. dollars) was supposed to be spent on Sochi-2014, with 60 percent coming from state budget and 40 – from private investment. Later President Putin said the amount would be increased, and some officials promised it would double.
According to Transport minister Igor Levitin, 305 bln. rubles (almost total initial budget) will be spent on creating transport infrastructure in Sochi and neighboring areas. The project will include reconstruction of existing and construction of new roads, reconstruction of Sochi’s port and airport. Apart from budget funds, there is a need to attract almost 2 bln. dollars from investors in order to implement the project.
Sergei Shishkarev of Duma Transport Committee questions Levitin’s calculations. The lawmaker believes state institutes are asking for almost twice as much of the real price of the construction, and cited the example of some private companies doing construction works in the port of Sochi. Oddly enough, he then suggested that all transport reconstruction projects would be placed in the management of Transport ministry. On the other hand, there is nothing odd – it will be easier for MPs to lobby their own interest in the ministry than in Olympstroy (a state corporation monitored directly by Putin).
In his Duma speech, Dmitry Kozak insisted on working out comprehensive principles of federal investment policy, a law that everybody would have to comply with – the Cabinet, the lawmakers and the local governors alike.
And the time for setting such rules for lobbyists is running out, as the tenders for construction contracts are supposed to begin already this year.
Ali Aliyev
Photo: sochi2014.com
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