12 October, Minsk /BELTA correspondent/. In Belarus, the payment for housing and communal services will depend on the income level of citizens. This was stated by the Deputy Prime Minister of Belarus, Anatoly Kalinin, during a direct line with the newspaper "Respublika", as reported by a BELTA correspondent. "The payment for housing and communal services will depend on the income level of citizens; there is a corresponding instruction from the Head of State. We are currently working with the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services and the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection to develop measures that would allow for the establishment of housing and communal services fees close to the cost price, without detriment to low-income citizens," the Deputy Prime Minister noted, emphasizing that this is a complex issue whose solution is not obvious. "Therefore, we first plan to introduce differentiated tariffs for the payment of electricity, heating, and gas for heating purposes; as for the use of gas for cooking, the payment mechanism will remain the same," he explained. Anatoly Kalinin noted that a similar practice has been applied in Ukraine for several years, and in Russia, a plan of measures has been developed for the transition to differentiated payment for heat, water, gas, and electricity, which is planned to be implemented within two years. "So far, we have only implemented a project for differentiated payment for water supply, but it is already clear that its results are good: there has been a noticeable reduction in consumption volumes and an increase in payments from those who consume water above the norm," the Deputy Prime Minister reported. According to the Deputy Prime Minister, a regulatory document on the introduction of differentiated electricity payment is currently being prepared. "This may happen from 1 November 2012. We would like to approach the solution of this issue as simply as possible for citizens: to raise tariffs to the cost price and pay non-cash housing subsidies to those citizens who need them. I believe that this option is more prudent and fair," Anatoly Kalinin expressed his opinion.The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized: "Of course, we will not immediately reach one hundred percent payment for services at their cost price. The Socio-Economic Development Program and the Government's Activity Program for 2011-2015 provide for a phased increase in the level of cost recovery by the population for the provision of a complex of housing and communal services to 60%, with its increase by 2015 for certain types of services, such as water supply, electricity and gas supply, and solid household waste removal and disposal, to the cost price level." The issue of forming separate tariffs in the regions is also being worked out – technical maintenance, major repairs of residential buildings, elevator maintenance, solid household waste removal. These issues are currently being studied by a created group under the leadership of Anatoly Kalinin; in the coming days, they will be worked out in the government and proposals will be submitted to the Head of State. "Only then will it become clear what mechanism will be the main one in a differentiated approach to paying for housing and communal services," the Deputy Prime Minister noted. -0-

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