Putin says number of groundless checks of businesses decreases

MOSCOW, Feb 15 (PRIME) -- The number of groundless checks of businesses has decreased, but all facts of unreasonable interference into the business life, disputes and conflicts need to be recorded, and the regulatory authorities will move to a risk-oriented approach soon, President Vladimir Putin told an expanded association of the General Prosecutor’s Office on Thursday.

Putin said that protection of business freedoms and prevention of any attempts to pressure on business entities is still a top priority task for the authority.

“We need to check the situations with baseless or in other words contracted criminal prosecution,” he said.

The president also said that the General Prosecutor’s Office also needs to protect depositors’ rights and fight money laundering schemes.

The authority should react promptly to all cases of infringement of labor and social legislation, including wage arrears, as well as to a non-market rise of housing utility rates, which often bases on fraud schemes, Putin said.

“Another key issue is the situation with pricing for housing and utilities services, which are often backed by clearly fraudulent schemes or companies which call themselves managing companies,” he said.

“IF you see that some people hike the tariffs artificially, I am asking you to take legal measures promptly.”

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