The Russian government has introduced a draft bill to the State Duma that would allow the Ministry of Digital Development to centrally manage the Investigative Committee's information systems, software, and IT infrastructure.
Document № 23203-9, published in the Duma's electronic database and submitted on 30 October, proposes amendments to the law on the Investigative Committee and legislation governing the contract system. The new powers would cover the creation and development of information systems, information and telecommunications networks, necessary infrastructure, as well as the supply of software and software-hardware tools.
Government officials argue that routing these responsibilities through the Ministry of Digital Development will enable more effective use of the federal budget, drawing on the ministry's established experience in managing large-scale informatization projects. The bill also introduces the possibility of centralized procurement for one or several federal state bodies, explicitly including the Investigative Committee.
At present the measure is only a legislative proposal. Parliamentary review has not yet taken place, so it is premature to state that the Ministry of Digital Development has assumed control of the Investigative Committee's entire IT infrastructure. For suppliers of software and equipment the initiative could alter the organization of future tenders and projects, although the published text does not yet allow conclusions about specific contractors, products, or the scale of any potential savings.
