Interfax: Supervisory bodies need reform in wake of Kemerovo tragedy – Matviyenko

Valentina Matviyenko file photo

MOSCOW. March 28 (Interfax) – The Kemerovo tragedy has shown that the system of supervisory and inspection bodies in Russia needs reform, Russian Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matviyenko said.

“We have so many supervisory agencies, inspection agencies in the country, but the situation with the shopping center in Kemerovo showed that this system needs a thorough analysis, a reform, a revision to ensure its effective operation,” Matviyenko told reporters on Wednesday, adding that relevant conclusions will be made in this sphere.

Matviyenko said she had earlier ordered three Federation Council committees to promptly analyze the state of the legislation and regulations, the enforcement and the law enforcement practice of the adopted laws in cooperation with experts.

“Why are flammable materials used despite being banned in such establishments and why do contractor organizations think the law does not apply to them when they use flammable materials in violation of the existing rules? There are thousands of ‘why’ questions today and there are currently no answers to them. Until we answer them, until measures are taken, we will not be confident that such things cannot occur again,” Matviyenko said.

In this case, the Federation Council committees will monitor the legislation; they will make their proposals, hear reports from the relevant ministries and agencies on their involvement in this work and address security issues and people’s personal issues.

“We will draw our conclusions [and will make] proposals and recommendations on a legislative level. It will apply to the improvement of the legislation, we will initiate these draft laws or we will issue recommendations to the relevant ministries and agencies to specify, change regulations, GOST standards, norms – everything that will ensure people’s safety,” Matviyenko said.

[featured image is file photo from another occasion]

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