Press conference of the LSDP group members in the Seimas | lrp.lt, Photo by O. Posaskova
Is the Prime Minister still the Minister for the Environment? This issue was publicly raised by representatives of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP) in the Seimas after a government resolution was adopted which would increase forestry by 6 percent.
"Even the tongue can not be reminded that the owners of greenery themselves, in the framework of the government's program, are committed to protecting the nature and forests of Lithuania." The prime minister's immediate responsibility is to verify the Minister of Environment can work in the end, checking the proposal made by the president, or is it met by such a minister who opens the way for more forestry, "says Seimas member Juozas Olekas.
"The Environment Minister, with his entire team, is completing the proof of whose interests he is working in. For the second term, I worked in Seimas Environmental Management and I always felt the pressure of the wood processing industry. have managed to achieve their goals, which previously failed – to increase the amount of wood, now one Staatsbos Enterprise has been established and forest fires have increased and the ministry and the minister have obeyed all orders from the timber industry, "said Linas Balsys during a press conference.
L. Balsys has drafted an amendment to the legislation that aims to ban deforestation in protected areas.
"We will try to control the appetite of wood processors by amending the law, and it is also necessary to ban cross-cutting during the breeding of birds," said the parliamentarian.
The representatives of the "For Lithuanian Forests" movement, who participated in the press conference in the Seimas, confirmed to the President of Lithuania and the Seimas President that the government's resolution on increasing forest felling would be withdrawn, otherwise the court is summoned to court. According to public surveys, 85 percent of Lithuanian residents surveyed say that cutting down forests would be reduced.
The Ministry of Environment's arguments that the increase in forestry would create conditions for lowering the prices of wood and biofuels are simply cynical. Biofuels that are used for centralized heating are much more expensive than wood. Only about 15 percent of the wood is used for biofuel. The biofuels themselves are not scarce, a part of the wood that is suitable for them remains in the forest. The price of emerging biofuels is used as a cover for increasing forest cover. Meanwhile, the issue of wood burning and biofuels that are rising by the real population is not solved in the course of the heating season.
Biofuel for district heating is used by almost all municipalities. During the heating season, their inhabitants will again give a financial blow. Firewood and biofuels have now increased by a fifth. The newly established State Forest Enterprise says that this fuel will be even more expensive and at the same time happy with profit.
Juozas Olekas says that if the president and the head of government do not evaluate the activities of the Environment Minister, the opposition group will re-open the conversation in autumn with regard to offering interpellation to Kęstutis Navickas. This would be the second interpellation for this minister. During the spring session K. Navickas avoided rejection based on the votes of the Governors.
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