Russian Government gave new instructions for the development of the timber industry

Following the results of the business trip of Viktoria Abramchenko, Deputy Prime Minister, to Ustyansky district of the Arkhangelsk region, a number of instructions for the development of the timber industry were given.

1. To consider the different standpoints of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia and the Federal Agency for Forestry on the preparation of a new version of the Strategy for the Development of the Russian Timber Industry: the Ministry of Industry and Trade supposes that the development of the timber industry does not require any changes.

2. To refute the reasonableness of providing state aid to timber enterprises ensuring full wood waste recycling.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is instructed to: form a task group with the participation of representatives of concerned federal and regional executive authorities of the Russian Federation and the business community to discuss topical issues related to the implementation of priority investment projects in the forest sector, and submit proposals for improving the state aid mechanism for such projects to the Government of the Russian Federation. Deadline: September 10, 2020.

3. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Ministry of Transport, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the Ministry of Finance are instructed to prepare agreed-upon proposals on the mechanisms for building roads required for harvesting in hard-to-reach forests, including forest roads, and submit them to the Government. Deadline: September 1, 2020.

4. The Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Industry and Trade are instructed to prepare agreed-upon proposals on amendments to the legislation of the Russian Federation aimed at increasing the standards for the total weight of vehicles and axle loads of log trucks (road trains) with a large number of axles (6 or more) and submit them to the Government. Deadline: August 17, 2020.

5. The Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of Construction are instructed to study the experience of the Arkhangelsk region in the construction of biofuel-fired boiler houses and, together with the concerned federal and regional executive authorities of the Russian Federation in charge of the territories accommodating forestry activities, prepare and submit proposals on how to encourage boiler houses currently using fuel oil to switch to biofuel, including by providing subsidies under investment projects for the introduction of the best available technologies. Deadline: September 1, 2020.

6. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Construction, the Ministry of Finance of Russia, with the participation of the Government of the Arkhangelsk Region, are instructed to prepare proposals for the organization of a pilot wooden housing construction development project in the territory of the Arkhangelsk region, including using the mechanism of subsidizing loans for the purchase of wooden houses stipulated by the Decree of the RF Government № 163 dated February 17, 2018, as well as by providing soft loans for the purchases of housing in rural areas under the Integrated Development of Rural Areas program. Deadline: August 25, 2020.

7. The Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Federal Agency for Forestry, together with the concerned federal executive authorities, are instructed to prepare and submit proposals for the organization of business schools on the introduction of best practices in the field of timber harvesting, wood processing, and reforestation, including for studying the experience of advanced forestry enterprises. Deadline: September 1, 2020.

8. The Federal Agency for Forestry, together with the Prosecutor General’s Office, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Federal Security Service, and regional executive authorities of the Russian Federation are instructed to verify compliance with the procedure for the execution and performance of long-term lease agreements for forest areas intended for timber harvesting and with investment obligations under priority investment projects in the forest sector, as well as to assess the sufficiency of reforestation activities stipulated by contracts for the continuous and inexhaustible forest use. Deadline: December 25, 2020.

9. The Ministry of Natural Resources of Russia, the Federal Agency for Forestry, together with the concerned federal and regional executive authorities of the Russian Federation, are instructed to prepare and submit proposals for improving the procedure for the prolongation of forest area lease agreements. Deadline: September 15, 2020.