Russian official: Monopolies slow economy

MOSCOW, April 15 (UPI) -- State Duma Speaker Boris Gryzlov said Tuesday the Russian economy needs to break away from the mind-set of monopolies.

"The Russian economy remains an economy of monopolies, and an economy that lacks a competitive environment," said the speaker of the lower house of the Russian legislature.

"On the whole they are slowing (economic) development," Gryzlov told the ninth congress of pro-Kremlin United Russia, Interfax reported.

"The country has just recovered from oil addiction, but it must not become hooked on natural monopolies," Gryzlov said.