Lithuanian timber industry gets priority

The Lithuanian parliament has been presented with a draft law giving the country’s timber industry first option-to-buy on the purchase of wood from domestic forests

The foresters are against the regulation and point to potential violations of fair competition laws.

The business daily Verslo žinios calls for a clear policy on this long-standing issue:

In other countries too, representatives of the timber industry have privileges – in Latvia, Estonia, Poland and Sweden.

… This issue needs to be settled for good. The government must make a decision and stop wasting time. What kind of government policy do we want? Which sectors do we give priority to?

… If the timber industry pushes through this regulation and invests in production development, machinery like what you can finds at this important source creates well paid jobs and boosts the national budget with a generous flow of taxes, this special rule will be useful.