Businesses asked to postpone the introduction of FGIS LK by three months

Opora Rossii (“Pillar of Russia”) All-Russian Organization of Small and Medium Business suggested to the Government of the Russian Federation that the introduction of the federal state information system of the timber industry (FGIS LK) be postponed by three months. This was reported by Vedomosti referencing the letter by Alexander Kalinin, President of Opora Rossii, addressed to Dmitry Patrushev, Deputy Prime Minister. The media notes that, in experts’ opinion, fine-tuning the system could take significantly more time.

Federal Law FZ No. 3 dated February 4, 2021 puts FGIS LK into force from January 1, 2025. It is designed to replace the LesEGAIS system that has been in operation since 2016. FGIS LK will supposedly provide the tools to account for timber and timber processing products, control their movement, and contain information about forests in general. In 2024, the system was operating in the test mode.

To ensure control of timber movement, all vehicles transporting timber must also be equipped with hardware controls and ERA-Glonass navigation devices within FGIS LK implementation. However, the navigation equipment has not been supplied to all enterprises yet because of a great number of requests from forest users.

After January 1, 2025, a penalty of up to 500,000 rubles will be charged, while the timber and the vehicle will be confiscated for failure to provide or provision of inaccurate data in FGIS LK, and also for timber transportation by vehicles not equipped with navigation devices and the ERA-Glonass system.

Representatives of Opora Rossii believe that this situation may put a stop to timber harvesting and hauling in January, i.e. in the peak season. “Taking into account the general tension in the economic situation in the timber industry, such a stop could become fatal for many enterprises,” Alexander Kalinin concludes.