OREANDA-NEWS. September 27, 2012. The Working Group for Developing Competition in the Social Sphere held the first meeting. The Group was formed by a decision of the Expert Council for Developing Competition in the Social Sphere and Heath Care at the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia), reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

Participants of the Working Group discussed importance of developing competition in the social sphere, particularly, in social services for the population. In this field diversification of services is slower than in other social spheres, although there are considerably more non-governmental organizations that represent the interests of socially unprotected groups.

The Working Group also discussed various approaches to expanding possibilities of non-governmental organizations taking part in providing social services.

Participants came to a unanimous opinion that developing competition in this field could increase transparency and quality of services. However, it should become a part of a new concept of the national social policy, which will correspond to the contemporary ideas about the role of the state in social sphere and form understanding how the control system over this sphere must be organized. The entire social legislative framework must be formed in accordance with the concept.

“The Working Group intends to further combine efforts of the experts and the general public, to search for acceptable for Russia technologies for competitive development of social sphere”, summed up the discussion the Head of FAS Department for Control over Social Sphere and Commerce, Timophey Nizhegorodtsev.