In Almaty, monopolists had to compensate the consumer’s communal services for almost 4.7 billions tenge

Almaty’s governor Bauyrzhan Baibek noted that the tariff setting of public services is one of the most pressing issues raised by the city's residents and is under constant control of the ruling party. Today, almost 1.5 million Almaty residents receive utilities on the prices kept at the expense of the local budget. Funds have been allocated for housing assistance to townspeople whose utility payments exceed 10% of total income.

"The head of state instructed not to allow unreasonable increase of tariffs. This directly affects the standard of living of people, entrepreneurs, prices, everything. For this purpose, the city prosecutor's office conducted a serious, comprehensive inspection among the monopolists. The facts of unreasonable overstating of the prices are revealed. The adopted measures protect the rights of about 1.5 million townspeople, compensatory tariffs for almost 4.7 billions tenge have been introduced. There are no further grounds for increasing the cost of the services. Any unreasonable attempts will be stopped so that our Almaty residents do not overpay. There is an instruction from the President, and it will be executed" - said Bauyrzhan Baibek.

Commenting on the situation in the field of tariff formation, procurator of Almaty Berik Zhuyriktaev told that during the inspection by the main supervisory authority of the city in relation to a number of subjects of natural monopolies, an unjustified increase in their costs was established, including through artificial increase in expenditures and non-fulfillment of investment programs.

"We proved that in Almatyenergosbyt, in fact, only 70% of the declared amount in the tariff estimate was spent on the power regulation service, and only 30% on depreciation charges. That is, 150 million instead of the envisaged 500 millions tenge. As a result, over the three years in the tariff unreasonably laid 1 billion 370 millions tenge. This amount was deducted upon agreement of the tariff for 2018. Energosbyt pleaded guilty and prosecuted. In turn, Alatau Zharyk Kompany increased its tariff for the transmission of electricity through the introduction of an emergency regulatory measure. As it turned out, they justified this measure with minor accidents and the need for routine maintenance, which does not belong to the category of emergencies. According to our requirements, the authorized body canceled its decision. The adopted measures introduced a compensatory tariff for damages in the amount of KZT2.17 billion. Future losses are prevented by KZT2.83 billion. The current tariff is reduced by 5.6%" - Berik Zhuyriktayev said.

According to the information of the city prosecutor, KazTransGas Aimak was also checked. Here, the failure of certain measures of the investment program was established. Thanks to the prosecutor's measures a compensatory tariff for 425 millions tenge were introduced. The enterprise was attracted to administrative responsibility for 50 millions tenge.

"In" Almaty Su "from year to year, artificially in their financial reports show a 2-fold increase in technical losses, that is, instead of the approved 17.8% indicate 35%, which is 70 million cubic meters of water. This is in proportion to the consumption of drinking water in cities such as Karaganda and Taldykorgan combined. Also, the tariff was overstated by increasing the cost of buying electricity. The difference was about 400 million tenge. In addition, along the line of JSC "Almaty Electric Power Plants" it was established that fuel costs in the amount of 11.3 billion KZT are included in the tariff estimate. In fact, only 10.2 billion tenge was spent. We have introduced a compensating tariff for 110 millions tenge" he said.

In turn, according to the calculations of the antimonopolists, the savings for Almaty residents on average for the year will be about 4,2 thousand tenge for 1-room apartment, 6,6 thousands tenge for 2-room and 9,6 thousands tenge for 3- room apartments. According to their forecasts, these measures and in the next year will exclude surges in tariff formation for the main types of energy and utilities.

"Consumers will see all this in their receipts as early as October" the MNE RK promised in the city department of the Committee for Regulation of Natural Monopolies and Competition Protection.

In general, over the last year in Almaty, built and renovated about 800 km of engineering communications. By the end of August, another 12 km of heating networks, expansion of existing gas pipelines and laying of new water supply networks for more than 120 thousand residents will be completed.