The State Duma of the Russian Federation wants to cancel the increase in utility tariffs in the fall and demands to "stop the madness."

      Anna Salnikova News Feed Editor

      The "Just Russia" faction has submitted a package of proposals to the State Duma to cancel the increase in housing and communal services tariffs starting October 1. The faction leader, Sergey Mironov, stated that the latest rise in payments "ruins citizens" and does not solve the industry's problems, reports Lenta.ru. The initiative includes a moratorium on tariff increases from July 1 to December 31, 2026. This should cancel the planned autumn indexation.

      The authors of the proposals also advocate for tariff increases to occur no more than once a year. They believe this order will eliminate double indexation. Furthermore, the deputies propose that any increase in tariffs must be agreed upon with the State Duma. This includes regional and local indices. According to the initiative, the increase should not exceed the level of inflation.

      Mironov noted that the government's projected average increase in payments of 9.9% exceeds the official inflation rate. He stated that in certain regions, the increase could be significantly higher due to allowable deviations. As an example, he cited the Stavropol Territory, where the indexation is 22%, and the deviation is 21.9%. Mironov claimed that as a result, tariffs could rise by almost 45%, and such practices need to be stopped by law.

      The faction leader also believes that increasing payments does not lead to improved quality of communal services or a reduction in the number of accidents. He cited corruption as the cause of problems in the industry.

      "Just Russia" proposes to freeze tariffs until a large-scale federal audit of the housing and communal services sector is conducted. Following such an audit, the faction advocates for the nationalization of the industry and its return under state control.