ROSATOM intends to attract independent expert organizations to assess quality, timeframe and cost of nuclear power and industry facilities under construction. This decision was voiced at the first meeting of the ROSATOM Transparency Enhancement Board.

The ROSATOM Transparency Enhancement Board has been established to follow Federal Law No.273-FZ of 25.12.2008 “On Countering Corruption”, which is to implement a national anti-corruption strategy and solve tasks set forth for the state executive authorities as to improve the management system of procurement activities of state-run corporations.

The Board members are officials from the Ministry of the Russian Federation of Economic Development, the Federal Tariff Service of Russia, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, SRO NP Soyuzatomstroy, the Russian State Duma’s Energy Committee, heads of departments and offices of ROSATOM as well as representatives of mass media.

In his address ROSATOM Director General Sergey Kirienko emphasized, the key goal of the Board’s activities is to generate and implement solutions to enhance transparency and minimize risks of corruption related to procurement procedures employed by ROSATOM and its organizations.

Other Board meeting speakers were Head of Procurement Office at ROSATOM Roman Zimonas (topic: ROSATOM Procurement System: Outcomes of 2009–2010 and 2011 Plans); Head of Assets Protection Office Victor Bratanov (topic: Economic Security and Countering Corruption in the Procurement System); and Pavel Tikhomirov, Deputy Director of the Department for Internal Control and Audit and Chairman of the central Arbitration Committee (topic: Procurement System in Nuclear Industry: Suppliers’ Opportunities to Appeal Against Procurement Procedures).

The meeting also discussed strengthening of quality control over fulfillment of contracts signed with contractors, including higher fines for failures to fulfill contracts and supply quality products and tools to enhance transparency of procurement procedures in the nuclear industry.