State Duma deputies adopted in the first reading a bill aimed at digital transformation of the forest industry
On December 15, 2020, deputies of the State Duma of the Russian Federation adopted in the first reading a bill on amendments to the Forest Code, designed to transfer the forest complex to a digital basis.
The prepared amendments are aimed at ensuring full transparency of the forestry sector. It is expected that the Federal State Information System of the Forestry Complex (FSIS LK) will be created, which will improve control over timber circulation, thereby reducing the amount of damage from illegal logging.
The basis of the system will be the modernized LesEGAIS system, which will provide full traceability of the movement of wood ‒ from the stage of its felling to the place of sale or processing.
In addition, permits and reporting documents for the use of forests will be generated in the FSIS LK in electronic form. In order to control the entire path of the timber, it is proposed to introduce an electronic accompanying document with its obligatory registration with LesEGAIS and signing with an electronic digital signature. If unreliable information about the volume of timber harvesting, its species and assortment composition is revealed, it is planned to block the transportation of timber and transactions with it.
“All changes in the digital plane will take place gradually and will not become an obstacle to the usual business processes of loggers. At the first stage, on the already existing modules of LesEGAIS, an experiment will be held with the participation of business to work out the changes provided for in the framework of digital transformation. From July 1, 2021, in accordance with the instructions of the President of Russia, the requirements must become mandatory,” explained Sergey Anoprienko, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation ‒ Head of the Federal Forestry Agency.
It will now be possible to conclude agreements on the use of forests, ensure timber accounting and make any transactions with it only with the help of a digital resource. Logging in the system will have to be subject to timber yards and raw material processing sites equipped with video recording equipment.
To control the entire process of timber movement, the FSIS LK will be able to exchange information with the systems of law enforcement agencies, the Federal Tax Service of Russia, Rosreestr, the Ministry of Transport of Russia, the Federal Customs Service of Russia, Rostransnadzor.
Used materials of the press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Russian Federation