MOSCOW, March 15 (RIA Novosti) - Unified Energy Systems has asked the government to review its pricing policy in the utilities sector, the head of Russia's electricity monopoly said Wednesday.
Anatoly Chubais said, "We can survive under this tariff policy through 2006, no catastrophes will occur. But we cannot develop under such a policy."
The national electricity utility, with stakes in 72 regional power companies and 37 federal power plants, has been suffering from chronic revenue shortages owing to its government-regulated tariffs, now far below European market rates, as well as to low bill collection rates. This year's deep freeze put an additional strain on the struggling power network.
