|
However, the Chairman Evgeny Nazdratenko expects more trouble from a long-lasting conflict with the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) than from supervising bodies. It is well known that Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov along with others was displeased with Nazdratenko, the former governor of Primorsky region, being appointed as a head of the Fishery Committee.
It is also known that the current head of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Vitaly Artyukhov, is on especially good terms with Kasyanov.
However, Evgeny Nazdratenko, a non-professional, whose appointment was not due to his business qualities but had an evident political ground, stands in the same line as Artyukhov himself, the latter having switched to Natural Resources from the Ministry of Transport. But the terms of the play became unequal: while the Fisheries Committee lost some of important tools for the sector management as well as certain sources of revenues, most of them went directly to the Ministry of Natural Resources.
As a result of that shift, the state economy sectors providing about 80 percent of the country’s foreign currency revenues went under MNR’s control. No quotas will be allocated and no licenses given unless approved by this Ministry. For instance, the so-called total allowable catch (TAC) which is split between all fish catchers of the country and provides a steady flow of revenues, albeit estimated by the Fisheries Committee, still has to be evaluated by MNR after its merger with the former State Committee of Environment. Therefore, Minister of Natural Resources Artyukhov can actually veto any of Nazdratenko’s initiatives. In such circumstances, relations between the two bodies could not but grow cold.
MNR’s policy has caused a lot of complaints not only with state government officials, but on the regional and sector levels as well. Some of the disputes are solved in court. In June, the Ministry launched a case against Sakhalin regional administration for an illegal start of salmon fishing before regional quota shares were approved.
The Sakhalin administration had to decide on starting the salmon fishing on June 10th, 2002 without an official permission from the government, as the situation was urgent: the Pacific salmon spawning period was to last not more than a month, and fish wouldn’t wait for the government’s resolution. With the Ministry’s permission lacking, fishermen were not allowed to begin to set their seine nets, not to mention to start fishing. “As the situation required fast decisions to be taken, we had to do it on our own, making up for governmental delays”, comments Sakhalin region’s governor Igor Farkhutdinov. “Today, salmon fishing is practically the only chance for most of the regional enterprises to survive. But Moscow officials tend to forget that their salaries do not fall from heaven, but come from fishing, oil, mining industries providing their work isn’t hindered.”
With many battles at the background, the fight between the two departments does not seem to cease: Ministry of Natural Resources is eager to have the State Fisheries Committee attached, while the latter is struggling for its former status of an independent ministry with all powers due to it.
Meanwhile, ordinary employees of the Fisheries Committee are dreaming of more stability to come. Over the past 10 years, the Committee has seen
7 chairmen, 26 deputy chairmen, 76 heads of departments and hundreds of other chief specialists replaced. Given that every newly appointed chief used to change the management policy and formed his own team, often getting rid of old disfavoured specialists, it can hardly look surprising that most of the Committee’s employees are not qualified for their jobs or have too little experience. Out of 6 persons who successively headed the Committee in 2001, only 2 were up to that job having special education and practical experience in the sector. That largely explains the unrealizable projects and erroneous decisions coming from this office.
No obvious reasons for sacking Nazdratenko are seen today. Given all that was done by his predecessors, it could hardly be possible to outdo them.
However, Nazdratenko himself is assured that his dismissal is imminent, and seems hopeful of returning the governor’s seat in his native Primorsky region. He’s all into the situation there and, with every opportunity given, tries to heat up the population’s discontent with the current governor, Sergey Darkin. It is rumoured that Nazdratenko’s followers are working on Darkin’s pre-term resignation from the post.
With the current regional administration unable to manage efficiently, and much of the information reported to Moscow hugely distorted, Evgeny Nazdratenko looks like a suitable replacement: he provides unquestionable backing to the President in the run-up for oncoming elections in exchange for his favourite governor’s seat.
|
Printer Friendly Page 
Send to a Friend