the State Forest Resources Agency of Ukraine introduces the electronic register of timber and bans its sales not at auctions.

According to a press release of the agency issued on Tuesday, the order was signed by Deputy Head of the Agency Volodymyr Bondar.

The agency obliged heads of state-owned enterprise, managed by the agency, to toughen control over logging and timber sales. The agency obliged to ensure keeping the electronic register of timber at forest enterprises placing the information to the electronic register and ensuring the registration of the signed contracts in the system.

The agency also obliged the enterprises to toughen control over the implementation of the timber sale and purchase agreements signed at auctions and the distribution of wood for technological timber and fuel wood.

The authority also ordered that the enterprises stop selling timber under direct contracts signed with contractors who are involved in logging and do not take part in auctions.

In addition, it is banned to sell oak wood for technological needs to consumers.

In 2017, the agency's enterprises saw UAH 471.9 million of net profit. Net sales revenue grew by 11% in 2017, to UAH 13.69 billion.

According to the assessments of the agency, the volume of unlawful logging is 26,000 cubic meters in 2017. The loss is UAH 157.5 million, and 5% of the loss was repaid.