The KGBK of Belarus will strengthen control over pricing in construction

June 12, Minsk /Nadezhda Radivon - BELTA/. The State Control Committee of Belarus will strengthen control over pricing in construction. This was stated by the Chairman of the SCC Zenon Lomat today at a meeting of the department's board, according to a BELTA correspondent. Inspections conducted by the SCC revealed numerous violations in the construction sector, including non-compliance by contractors with design documentation requirements, overstating work volumes, incorrect application of rates, overpricing of materials and unjustified inclusion of lump-sum costs in settlement documents, and untimely acceptance of buildings. All this has affected the cost of housing. The cost per square meter of housing for citizens in need of improved housing conditions in commissioned residential buildings in the first quarter amounted to Br1.2 million, an increase of 11.9% compared to last year. Zenon Lomat demanded that officials be held accountable, up to criminal liability, for overstating work volumes and costs. "This has been discussed more than once, but violations in the construction sector are regularly detected, which causes public discontent. Citizens appeal to the State Control Committee and other authorities with complaints against developers. It is necessary to strengthen control in this area," noted Zenon Lomat. At the meeting of the State Control Committee's board, a number of examples were cited of both unjustified overpricing of housing and "multi-million ruble overstatements." Last year, apartment buildings in Gomel, Glubokoye, and other settlements were commissioned without a positive conclusion from the State Construction Supervision authorities. The largest number of violations were recorded in Minsk. For example, in one of the capital's UCKs, Belarusian gas stoves were sold through intermediaries, thereby increasing their cost. In Minsk, in the "Sokol" microdistrict, the overstatement of the contract price during the construction of a residential building amounted to Br1.3 billion, with designers unjustifiably increasing the cost by Br800 million and builders by Br500 million. "And there are many such examples. For overstating work volumes, there must be the strictest punishment, bringing officials to justice, up to criminal liability," emphasized Zenon Lomat. -0-