OREANDA-NEWS. March 25, 2010. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) initiated a case against the Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation (Minregion Russia) for the signs of violating Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" (prohibiting competition-restricting acts and actions (omissions) of the authorities).

In course of the investigation FAS Russia will check the actions of the Ministry for issuing a Letter of 10th November 2009, which contained recommendations for verifying reliability of the estimate chapters in project documentation. It advised that all organizations responsible for government assessment in constituent territories of the Russian Federation should consider as the standard a specialized automated program package for expert assessment of estimates: "GOSSTROISMETA-EXPERT". Such actions can lead to restricting or eliminating competition on the market of alternative program products and contravene Part 1 Article 15 of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition".

FAS Russia will also check possible omissions by the Ministry in terms of failure to exercise control over the work of a subordinated Federal State Institution - the "Federal Centre for Pricing in Construction and Construction Materials Industry". The government body disseminated information about priority application of "GOSSTROISMETA" program package and program products included in the Register of Program Products for Estimates, which is kept by the "Federal Centre for Pricing in Construction and Construction Materials Industry". It could have created obstacles to the work of economic entities involved in development and implementing of other program products for estimates, and create conditions for restricting competition on the market of development and implementing programs for estimates in the Russian Federation.

The case against Minregion Russia will be considered on 9th April 2010.