The trade union organization of the Management of Forests and Hunting Grounds appealed to the deputies to adopt the amendment of deputies Slađana Kaluđerović and Bogdan Bogdanović to the draft law on forests because, as they said, it gives the complete meaning of the agreement between the Trade Union and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management
The subject amendment, they explain, refers to Article 73, paragraph 2, points 4 and 5, which is amended to read: "The administrative body performs administrative tasks and related professional tasks in forestry, which refer to the remittance of trees for felling, making contractor projects and receiving wood assortments''.
"We note that the Administration should remain in this form (where stronger control will be introduced in all segments of work), and that a company be formed that will carry out the exploitation and use of forests. The main argument is that it should be implemented in phases, so that the entire process sustainable in the long term.The reasons why it is necessary for this authority to remain in the Administration and the rationale for this key amendment are as follows:
- Only forestry engineers can carry out remittance and construction of contractors' projects. None of the permanently employed forestry engineers wants to transfer to the newly formed company, for which we have sent you their signatures, so it is not even clear who could make the remittance if it comes under the jurisdiction of that company;
- The fact that the remittance of the trees was made for a well-known buyer, which created space for corruption and abuse, was the main objection to the concession system. The idea that the remittance will be part of a future company that will deal primarily with forest exploitation is wrong for several reasons, namely:
- Putting profit above protection, a company is established with a primary mission to make a profit, which can lead to decisions that favor short-term economic benefits over the long-term sustainability of forest resources;
- Absence of neutrality, the existence of a conflict of interest when the same company that exploits forests makes decisions about which trees will be cut down without a rational explanation and in accordance with the forestry profession;
- Remittance, as one of the most professional jobs in forestry, which implies the sublimation and practical application of forestry science, should always be within the framework of the state administration. What should be emphasized is that all forestry engineers, regardless of the function they perform within the Administration, are essentially forestry engineers who, if necessary, can be engaged in remittance work. For these reasons, any thinking that the remittance should be within some future company whose primary task is profit is wrong and will give the same result as with the concession system," the union said.
They point out that these were their requests that they did not change, and that the dilemma about whether these competencies should be within the Administration arose only with the proponents of the Law.
"That's why we insist and appeal to the deputies to respect the opinion of the Management Union and the forestry profession, as the most invited actors in this process", they concluded.
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