Russian Sports Ministry Wants To Bypass Inspections Of World Cup Projects

Russia's sports ministry has suggested that construction of several arenas for the 2018 World Cup, financed by the government, should begin without thorough inspection of the projects. Ministry officials fear that inspections will take time and as a result deadlines may not be met. The idea contradicts an existing regulation under which all projects partly or fully financed by state budgets should go through careful examinations before any funds are released, but the ministry insists the regulations should be changed.

NEED FOR SPEED: With Russia's World Cup just four years away, several arenas planned to be constructed for the tournament are still in early preparatory stages. According to earlier reports, the federal government considers earmarking 100B rubles ($2.89B) for the construction of new football stadiums in Samara, Volgograd, Yekaterinburg, Nizhni Novgorod, Saransk and Rostov-on-Don. Decisions regarding the releasing of funds and project inspections are expected shortly.
Vladimir Kozlov is a writer in Moscow.