s industry, is constantly decreasing. These industries are extremely capital intensive, a large portion of their costs is ongoing. As a result the proportion of fixed costs in the price per unit of output is growing. In addition, until recently, natural monopolies were financed by investments largely from domestic sources (investment and stabilization funds generated through cost and profit), which determined an excessive burden on the rates. In 1993-1996 years sectoral prices of Russian natural monopolies have grown more rapidly than in other sectors of the economy. They approached the level of the world, and in some cases (eg, international phone rates) have surpassed them. Consumers began to exert pressure on the government making the request until the price freeze. Rapid and significant price increase in electricity, gas, communications industries and railway transport has led to the need for raising the question of reasonableness of costs (the costs of salaries, social benefits, investment banking) and the line quality products and services offered by the price level. In all branches that contain the natural monopoly segments, wages higher than the average for the economy and their employees enjoy greater social benefits than other industries. But for all the obvious problem of the criticality of the situation the need for state regulation of natural monopolies has been realized only in 1994, when prices for their products has had a significant impact on undermining the economy. At the same reformist wing of the government began to pay more attention to the problems of regulation of natural monopolies is not so much by the need to halt the rise in prices in the relevant field or provide opportunities to use the price mechanism for macroeconomic policy, but primarily trying to limit the range of regulated prices. The first draft of the Law "On natural monopolies" was prepared by staff of the Russian Center for the privatization of the Russian Federation on behalf of GKAP at the beginning of 1994 after this project had been crafted by Russian and foreign experts, and consistent with the sectoral ministries and companies (Ministry of Communications, Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Atomic Energy, Minnats, RAO "Gazprom", RAO "UES of Russia", etc.). Many of the sectoral ministries were against the project, the Ministry of Economy and GKAP but managed to overcome their resistance. Already in August, the government sent agreed by all concerned ministries draft law in the State Duma. Only in April, the State Duma adopted the law, and it was sent to the President. In May, President, citing the presence of a conflict with the law, vetoed the law in the new version and returned it to the State Duma. In June and July working the conciliation commission of the State Duma and the presidential administration. After that, the State Duma adopted almost without debate in the new edition of Law and 17 August the President signed the Act. This is made possible by the wide summer campaign, which launched the media against abuses permitted by natural monopolies. Particular attention was paid to the financial performance of the gas industry, the ability to improve the state budget by increasing taxes RAO "Gazprom" and the abolition of privileges on the formation of extra-budgetary funds, etc. According to the Law "On natural monopolies", the scope of regulation includes the transportation of crude oil and petroleum products through pipelines, transporting gas through pipelines, transmission services of electricity and thermal energy, rail transport, services, transportation terminals, ports and airports, public services and postal services. The main methods of control were:
Price regulation, that is the direct determination of prices (tariffs), or the appointment of their maximum level;
Definition of compulsory service for consumers and/or setting a minimum level of security.also charged with the duty to monitor the various activities of natural monopolies, including the acquisition of property rights, large investment projects, selling and renting property. Foreign regulatory experience shows that the main thing in this business is the maximum independence of regulatory bodies such as other government and from business entities controlled by them, as well as coordination of interests and areas of regulatory agencies that will provide them the opportunity to take politically unpopular decisions. In the original draft law it was suggested that regulators will have a high degree of independence: members of their boards, appointed for an extended period of time could not be fired for any reason, except by court order, provided for a ban on the combination of board members, the ownership of shares controlled companies, etc. However, in the final version many progressive provisions, taken from long-term management practices in...
