Why are sites of government agencies so expensive?

The Investigative Committee made ​​a site for 825 million rubles. It is a lot of money -- about 80 thousand dollars. For example, to earn that much a Belarusian with national average salary has to work for nearly 12 years. 

A little more expensive is the development of "schedule" on the site of the Belarusian railway service - 863 millions. While this bill is still possible to comprehend, there is a question why the site with news, photos and feedback form costs the same? 

"One of the requirements is the development of self-recording CMS. Unique, unconventional design and the largest amount of money is spent on security, because the site must be approved in accordance with the law. Its certification takes place in the SAC. Document set consists of about 26 pieces. A safety assignment is written for the site, it is certified in a cetified laboratory. The protection system is tested in the laboratory and is certified at the SAC," said the official at the the Centre of Banking Technologies that developed the site of the IC. 

Crears Systems did not say how much the new site of the Defense Ministry cost, but they did say it cost almost as much as the one made for the Investigative Committee. 

The price includes hosting, powerful servers, design of pages, there are a lot of layouts. Then the imposition of these models, cost of the programmer connecting the functional part to the server, costs of the control system. 

"Programming is expensive. There are many sub-sites, about 30 sub-domains, each with its own unique design, coding and programming." 

Bagdan Karavets, head of Astronim, says that the sites of government agencies have the functional part invisible to users, as well as a strong security system. Therefore, these prices are justified. 

"There are usually two hidden peculiarities. The cost often includes long-term server support, security. As it was with the President's site. Second thing - the hidden functionality. For example, some internal databases that are synchronized with the state or foreign systems similar to those of the Interpol. This is to ensure that various services, such as border committees, run smooth."

Sites with a strong security system are harder to hack and DDoS, but it is still possible, you just need the money. But how justified are these fears for websites which publishe news and press releases that can be published, as before, in facebook and sent by e-mail? 

"I think that for the sites of state bodies like that of the President, the KGB, the SCC it is required. If an attacker can publish there even contradictory news, there will be huge backfire," believes Yulia Stsyapanava of the Center for Banking Technologies. 

Euroradio has rated the most expensive sites. It is a tentative list, as different sites have different amounts of work put into them. All figures are in BYR.


Site of the President of Belarus - 2.6 billion rubles 


Belarusian Currency and Stock Exchange - 1.28 billions 


Creating a system of "railroad schedule" - 863 millions 


Website of the Investigative Committee - 825 millions 


Website Ministry of Defense - is comparable to the IC site 


The site of the National Olympic Training Center - 7.8 millions 

There are state agencies that book sites, but the tenders did not take place. 

Social Protection Fund wanted a site for 390 millions


Customs Committee - 170 millions 


Grodno City Executive Committee - 140 millions 


National Investment and Privatization Agency - 80 millions 


Pinsky executive committee - 40 millions 


DIA of Gomel Oblast Executive Committee - 30 millions