The State Duma Committee approved the introduction of “smart” technologies within the framework of the PPP

MOSCOW, 12 Oct — PRIME. The State Duma Committee on Economic Policy supported the adoption in the first reading of a bill that allows the introduction of so-called “smart” technologies in cities and villages of Russia within the framework of municipal-private partnership (MPP), now the document can be submitted for consideration by the Duma on October 18.

The current legislation allows the conclusion of agreements on public-private partnership (PPP) and concession agreements (CS) in relation to information technology objects (computer programs, databases, information systems, sites in networks that include such programs and databases), and as well as technical means of ensuring the functioning of these facilities.

The bill, introduced by a group of senators and deputies from the “United Russia”, allows to conclude in relation to such objects and agreements on private equity. Local governments work “on the ground” and are well aware of the needs of residents, so digital technologies in municipalities are a real benefit for people, one of its authors, First Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council Andrei Turchak, explained earlier.

The Economic Policy Committee draws attention to the fact that the PIL agreements planned for conclusion should be integrated into the overall digitalization system of the country and correlated with the architecture of state information systems. “Otherwise, there are serious risks of creating projects in the field of information technology at the municipal level, which, in terms of their technical characteristics, are not compatible with existing information systems,” the committee concludes.

The draft law also provides for the possibility for the concessionaire to use the existing results of intellectual activity, the rights to which belong to him at the time of the conclusion of the Constitutional Court, in the development of new information technology objects. The concessionaire will also, within the framework of concession agreements, have the right to use information technology facilities and technical means to ensure their functioning in order to carry out entrepreneurial and other activities.

However, the Economic Policy Committee believes that such changes require additional discussion, since they “create a threat to the confidentiality of information containing state and commercial secrets and used in the implementation of the project, as well as risks of unauthorized access to confidential information and the use of personal data of third parties.”