A new state-owned waste operator may be headed by a former official from the Moscow region

told Vedomosti by two people close to the Ministry of Natural Resources, a source in one of the regional operators, a federal official and two regional officials. He is the main candidate, the Vedomosti interlocutors say. “The documents on his appointment are signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev,” the Vedomosti interviewees close to the Ministry of Natural Resources noted. Officially, the appointment of Butsayev can be announced on Thursday at the Russian Investment Forum in Sochi.

The decision was not made, several candidates are considered for the position, the government spokesman said. In mid-January, one of them was called RBC CEO Semen Sazonov by RBC sources. A total of about 10 candidates were considered, a person close to the Ministry of Natural Resources knows. A representative of the ministry, like Butsayev himself, did not respond to Vedomosti"s requests.

Garbage problems In 2016, Russia generated a record 5.4 billion tons of waste, 90% of which is industrial. By 2030, the government should recycle 86% of industrial and 80% of municipal solid waste (MSW). To do this, you need 5 trillion rubles, half of which must be financed by private investors, another 25% are producers, including paying an environmental fee, and the government plans to collect another 10% due to a payment for negative environmental impact and fines for environmental violations.

The idea to sharply increase the environmental fee has criticized the Ministry of Economic Development

A new state-owned company, the Russian Ecological Operator, was created by order of President Vladimir Putin in January. It should stimulate the processing and reduction of waste disposal, and by 2020 to create a unified system of accounting for MSW. More than 75 billion rubles have been allocated for the creation of a state-owned company.

Her role is to create an all-Russian territorial waste management scheme, find out how much waste is produced in each territory of the country, how much waste disposal and recycling complexes are needed, explains a regional official. The company will create a centralized database, a system for monitoring and accounting for waste, and develop mechanisms for attracting investment in the industry, said Alexey Makrushin, general director of the association “Housing and Public Utilities and Urban Environment”. The exact functions should be formulated in the statute, which is still being developed.

From 2019, a single operator should appear in each region who will deal with the removal and processing of solid household waste. The state-owned company should start performing the functions of those operators who cannot cope until they are replaced, Makrushin says. And also to negotiate with the regional authorities on the interregional movement of waste, to organize recycling of waste under the expanded responsibility of producers, to attract investment.

Moscow region investor

Butsaev already has experience with garbage - he oversaw the project for the construction of waste incinerators near Moscow. But the main thing is his experience in attracting investments, says a government official in the Moscow region. He managed to attract them, he recalls, with the arrival of Butsayev investment in the region rose to 11.4%. Three special economic zones were created, about 2000 investment projects are in operation, the source told Vedomosti.

The Popular Front and the State Duma want to control the garbage reform

Butsaev has experience in structuring transactions, he was the first to think about concessions in the Moscow region, says the Vedomosti source in the government of the Moscow region. Butsaev for a long time led the investment unit in the Moscow region and he understands the specifics of investments in infrastructure, the budget process, he has experience in public service, which is important in this position: many facilities for dealing with MSW need to be built in the Moscow region and knowledge of the specifics of the region will be useful , said Svetlana Dubinchin, adviser of LECAP infrastructure practice.  

Source: https://www.vedomosti.ru