Belarusian Deputy Forestry Minister Vladimir Krech talked to reporters and explained what documents are needed in order to acquire commercial timber at preferential prices for housing construction, BelTA has learned.

Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed decree No.323 on 13 August to amend decree No.437 on forestry management and timber sales of 23 November 2020. The decree adjusted the amount of commercial timber that can be sold at preferential prices for housing construction. The limit now goes up to 70m3 per construction object or per restoration object (previously the limit covered all the objects combined) and up to 10m3 for routine repairs within one calendar year for a combination of all objects (previously it was 10m3 for every object – a residential house, a summer house, a garden cottage).

In order to get up to 70m3 of timber, citizens need to have the resolution of a municipal authority in favor of allocating a land plot intended for building a residential house in addition to design specifications and estimates and an application for the timber. “It will be enough for getting commercial timber,” Vladimir Krech said.

There are also peculiarities. Applicants do not always need design specifications and estimates. According to Architecture and Construction Ministry resolution No.202, citizens can begin construction in rural populated localities if they have a building owner passport. “But we and banks need design specifications and estimates in order to calculate how much timber the residential house really needs. Then we will sell this timber at the preferential price. People already understand that. They have two options: they can either use the simplified construction scheme and buy construction materials and supplies at standard prices or they can have these design specifications and estimates made and then enjoy the preferences granted by the state,” the deputy forestry minister said.

Routine repairs also need a list of documents. “It is a small one, too. An application to a forestry enterprise, the technical specification for the piece of real estate, which is registered with the local property inventory and registration authority. And then we can allocate up to 10m3 of timber every year for the sake of repairing a residential house, outbuildings, and fences if they are specified by the technical specification,” he explained.

Written by belta.by