Russia’s chief auditor to check Gazprom and Rosneft

Russia's Accounts Chamber is going to check the country’s state-owned gas major Gazprom for the first time in five years, according to Head of the Chamber Sergey Stepashin.

"For the first time in five years we plan a full-scope audit of Gazprom, we haven’t dealt with the company for quite a while," Stepashin said at a news conference.The Accounts Chamber will check “the efficiency of the company, non-core expenses along with issues concerning pipelines,” he said. The check is expected to be finalized by November 2013.  The Chamber has also started an audit of Russia’s state-owned nanotechnology company Rusnano.In 2014 the Accounts Chamber plans to provide a complex audit of state-owned oil major Rosneft as soon as it finalizes checks on other state companies, Stepashin saidThe head has also announced that the Chamber plans to check several state-owned companies including airline Aeroflot, the RusHydro energy company, Rosatom nuclear major and Rosagroleasing agrarian and industrial leasing company.Recently the Chamber completed a check of Russia’s Soccer Union and revealed a “huge number of inaccuracies, unclear financial sources and a lack of internal control,” Stepashin said. The Chamber has already proposed to develop new legislation which will regulate the activities of the union.