Experts disagree on the effectiveness of the FTIP management reform

The restructuring of the management of the Federal Targeted Investment Program (FTIP) has not yet removed the systemic problems in this area – experts state the lack of justification for capital investments and the incomplete control over the completion of construction projects. The assessment of the centralization of a part of the construction state order by the “Single Customer” also looks ambiguous so far – some experts believe that this will not solve the problem of long-term construction, while others consider it an effective solution.

The restructuring of the FTIP management system, which has been ongoing over the past three years, has not yet removed questions about the effectiveness of state capital investments – as follows from an article published in the Financial Journal of the NIFI of the Ministry of Finance by Anna Zolotareva, deputy head of the budget policy research laboratory of the IPEI RANEPA, systemic problems in this area still remain. Recall that perestroika began in 2020 after many years of criticism of FTIP due to the slow disbursement of funds and the appearance of abandoned construction projects – as part of this work, a clear vertical of control began to form. In 2021, the “Single Customer in the Construction Industry” was created (it consolidated the functions of customers of six institutions of the Ministry of Sports, the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Health, and is also engaged in the completion of problematic facilities), in 2022 the Ministry of Construction received the authority to form FTIP (from the Ministry of Economy), and the program itself became a five-year program.

Among the shortcomings in this area, Anna Zolotareva notes the fact that part of the justification procedures for investment projects has been suspended, which “is fraught with a decrease in the efficiency of budget investments” – as a result, in most cases, the ratio of the estimated cost of the object with analogue projects, future costs of maintaining the object and sources their coverage. One of the main reasons for non-fulfillment of FTIP and the appearance of long-term construction is the approval of appropriations for projects without the necessary documentation, that is, unfinished (their share reaches 25%), with the possibility of redistributing funds. Doubts are also expressed about the expediency of centralizing state construction projects at the “Single Customer” – this cannot solve the problem of long-term construction (it arises due to higher construction costs, the duration of procurement procedures and the inclusion of unfinished objects in the FTIP) and at the same time “creates risks of monopolizing the market and ignoring the needs of specialized departments in sectoral construction.

As Kommersant was told in the Accounts Chamber, since 2022, FTIP has been “adjusted” quite strongly in terms of public administration and digitalization, and an increase in the planning horizon to five years “should have a positive impact on the quality of management.” However, the state auditors remind that at the end of 2022, for example, problems such as an increase in the cost of construction for 76.5% of objects, delays in terms and monitoring of the completion of construction not for all objects were identified. The Accounts Chamber will give its proposals for “adjustment” based on the results of the audit of budget execution for 2023.

The president of NOSTROY, Anton Glushkov, believes that the consolidation of the function of a single customer is “a hard-won and right decision”: modern facilities require high qualifications from the customer, and the regions lack competencies. According to him, “consolidation and control over the progress of construction and spending of funds should help restore order.” Vladislav Onishchenko, Director General of the Agency for Economic Transformation and Development, a resident of the CSR expert club, agrees that there is a problem in evaluating efficiency – it is required “before, during and after the completion of the project, and comparison with analogues is also necessary.” However, he notes, the consolidation of powers by the “Single Customer” makes it possible “to use common competencies and is more effective in the future” – specialized institutions should manage the results of programs, not construction sites.

The Ministry of Construction, recalling the systematic work to combat incompleteness, the introduction of construction monitoring (see Kommersant on September 4) and the reduction of redundant procedures, told Kommersant that “work to improve the level of capital management and the efficiency of using FTIP funds will continue “.

Evgenia Kryuchkova