Derzhlisagentstvo: reform of the forestry sector can not prevent the transfer of forest concession or private hands

“In Ukraine is currently missing document forest policy Law, which would have defined the vision States on fundamental forest-related issues, including the distribution of ownership of the forests, the role of the State in a balanced lìsoupravlìnnì, directions and goals forest development both at the national and regional levels. This document really needs, but we understand that, given its comprehensive nature and the necessity of taking into account the opinions of all interested parties, its development will require a significant period of time, said Volodymyr Bondar. According to him, some norms of Forestry of Ukraine is outdated and require improvement. The situation affects and lack of budget funding of forestry activity from 2016 onwards. “This requires decisive steps for creating a mechanism to finance sustainable forest management. So at the suggestion of the public Council under Deržlìsagentstvì was started with the preparation of the sustainable development strategy and institutional reform of forestry, which is a framework document and provides ways of exit from crisis in the short term. In developing the strategy of the State forest Agency, we had an opportunity to consider the views of various interested parties, “said the Deputy Head of the Agency. Vladimir Bondar also said that Deržlìsagentstvo propisalo in the Strategy the main obvious principles/safety, which should be based forestry. In addition, he commented on the issue of the alternative draft strategy. As noted by Volodymyr Bondar, it contains no such principles and thus does not exclude negative for forestry of Ukraine developments, such as the concession or the transfer of State-owned forest in private hands. “The proposal to create a single business entity is not new. Today in Europe such companies set up and working in a small area of countries such as Latvia, Austria, and that have a forest fund at the level of our regions. Offered by an approved Strategy option to create a single business entity will have to only negative consequences. First and foremost, it will lead to the mass reduction of employees “,-said the Deputy Head of the State forest Agency. In particular, he stressed that all forestry enterprises today are protected by the State from privatization, as protection against the privatization of joint-stock company does not and will not. Another problem that has been identified in the implementation of the approved strategy is the stop of the forestry activities of forestry enterprises after the liquidation of at least 2-3 years. Because you will need to simultaneously hold the new planning forestry activities for the entire country. So stop harvesting of timber, which will stop the wood processing industry. Furthermore, as emphasized by Volodymyr Bondar, handover of forests for forest management from local to central level challenges the national decentralization reform and creates a monopoly that the negative impact on the the development of the wood industry, the social development of rural areas. “The Approved strategy, in contrast to the proposals of the State forest Agency, contains areas of improvement namely forestry and many provisions of the Decree of the President of Ukraine”,-said the Deputy Head of the State forest Agency. In turn, Volodymyr Bondar introduced a variant of the distribution functions of the management of the forest to agriculture, proposed by the working group the State forest Agency. “To separate the economic function of the proposed creation of the Deržlìsagentstvom associations of State forestry enterprises at the regional level with your delegation to them of part of the powers of the forestry enterprises. This State lìsgospi remain legal entities of State property that meets the requirements of the Decree of the President of Ukraine. The creation of these associations will help in coordinating the activities of enterprises and reduce the risk of interference in economic activity. Delegation will include, among other things, the development and implementation of construction projects, including forest roads; coordination of activities of enterprises, in particular about the forestry measures (creation of nurseries, preventing large Eucalypt, vìtrovalami, etc.), security and protection of forests, implementation of the wood; implementation of investment projects, “said the Deputy Head of the State forest Agency. MPs-the members of the Committee supported proposals to prevent the transfer of forest concession and the creation of a single Corporation. MPs spoke for the need to preserve the lìsgospami of the status of legal persons. For more insight please read the slides. More info