Federal officials tell Omsk to find the money to finish its long-delayed subway

In 26 years of construction, Omsk has managed to build just 35.9 percent of its subway system: a single station. In early May, Governor Alexander Burkov announced the latest freeze in work, explaining that the regional budget doesn’t have the funds to keep the project going, and federal subsidies have run out. On May 23, the Transportation Ministry “recommended” that Omsk official reconsider its decision to halt subway construction, saying that a failure to keep working will be seen as “an inefficient use of federal subsidies.”

The federal government has already invested 6.1 billion rubles ($98.9 million), but Governor Burkov says the project needs more assistance from Moscow. If the Transportation Ministry has concerns about his efficiency, he said on Wednesday, the Control and Accounts Chamber should conduct an audit.