The Economic Development Ministry wants to put a brake on price rises for electricity, gas and rail transport, Interfax reported Friday, as officials try to ease the cost burden on crisis-hit domestic industry.

If the ministry's proposal to slow price growth by more than 75 percent for some utilities goes through, the companies supplying them could face revenue shortfalls, analysts said.

But with the financial crisis forcing large consumers of power and gas to cut costs as much as possible, the state may decide to help them by suspending the price increases set out in 2007, when Russia was on the cusp of an oil-driven boom.

Under the ministry's proposal, the price of gas for industrial consumers would be allowed to rise by only 5 percent, not the 27.7 percent initially planned, the news agency reported, citing a source in the government.

Electricity tariffs for industrial consumers could be increased by 5 percent next year, instead of the 22 percent that was expected, while heat prices could be increased by 5 percent instead of 18 percent, Interfax reported.

The liberalization of the wholesale market for electricity could also be delayed for at least a year, the report said.

The proposal is also to amend the cost of rail freight, allowing it to grow by 10 percent instead of a planned hike of up to 13.7 percent, Interfax said.

Late last year, some of Russia's largest companies lobbied the government to ease their costs by slowing the growth of utility prices. This led to an outcry from electricity firms and other utilities, saying they needed the scheduled hikes to make a return on their investments.

Private investors, such as Italy's Enel and Finland's Fortum, purchased controlling stakes in electricity assets as the government dismantled its monopoly in 2007 and 2008.

The government settled on a compromise, allowing gas and rail transport prices to rise more gradually while leaving unchanged its plans to hike electricity tariffs.

Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko offered another possible concession to power companies on April 15, saying they may be allowed to alter investment plans, including construction delays or moving plants. Much of the new planned capacity was to be built around industrial enterprises that have been shelved because of the economic crisis.

The Interfax report cited a proposal that must still be presented to various state agencies for review.