The Government of the Russian Federation has been instructed to accelerate the revision of the Strategy for the Development of Russia’s Forest Complex, extending its implementation period through 2035. The updated strategy is to include specific measures and corresponding targets across several key areas: promoting domestic demand for timber products, developing exports of these products, advancing the sector’s technological development through the provision of essential equipment and machinery primarily of domestic make, promoting the use of low-grade wood, forest industry wastes, and pellets, and developing regional models for the forest sector with consideration for the construction or expansion of pulp and paper mills’ capacities.
The Government has also been tasked with modernising existing boiler houses to run on pellets and constructing new biofuel-powered boiler houses, particularly in the Far Eastern, Siberian, and Northwestern federal districts; building thermal power stations that use biofuel; upgrading coal heating systems; developing and implementing new technologies for utilising forest industry wastes. The instructions further provide for subsidies to Russian companies exporting timber products through seaport checkpoints in the Northwestern Federal District to offset transportation costs. Lastly, efforts are to be made to facilitate the export of Russian-produced pellets to China.
The Government has also been instructed to address a range of issues related to operations of organisations working in the forest sector. These include implementing a ban on the use and distribution of tableware and packaging made from materials not subject to composting within the Baikal Natural Territory, ensuring compliance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) when exporting timber, and supporting research and development aimed at creating genetically modified tree species with predetermined properties and growth rates. This R&D initiative is intended to explore the feasibility of establishing forest plantations for the commercial cultivation and use of such timber.
The Government of the Russian Federation, in coordination with regional executive authorities, has been instructed to ensure the provision of social tax deductions on personal income tax for taxpayers who incurred expenses related to health and fitness services.
The Government, together with regional executive authorities and the Russian Popular Front, has been instructed to develop and implement a set of measures to enhance public awareness and outreach regarding eligibility for social tax deductions on personal income tax for taxpayers who incurred expenses related to health and fitness services, as well as for standard tax deductions related to meeting the standards of the Russian physical fitness and sports complex, Ready for Labour and Defence (GTO).
The Government of the Russian Federation, in cooperation with Russian Railways, has been instructed to submit proposals to increase the number of direct container trains allocated for products produced by timber industry and to enhance the priority of rail transport for these goods.
The State Duma has been advised to accelerate the review of the draft federal law On Amendments to the Forest Code of the Russian Federation, which aims to enhance the legal framework governing the construction of forest roads.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, together with the Federal Agency for Forestry (Rosleskhoz) and forest complex organisations, has been instructed to submit proposals on integration of digital computer vision technology, machine learning, use of unmanned aerial systems and lidar applications in forest management.