​The government wants to cap the prices of firewood and wood products for this winter on Wednesday, citing the energy crisis and artificial price increases that could affect more than 3 million households.

The executive power wants to pass these measures through an emergency resolution that will be included in the agenda of the Victoria Palace on Wednesday, about the project that HotNews.ro previously wrote about.

Artificial increase in the price of wood: it is also resold for more than 700 lei/m3

The government is preparing a draft of an emergency decree to limit firewood prices after the discovery of a series of artificial price increases, as well as to protect the population in the energy crisis.

• “In Romania, more than 3 million households are heated with wood or wood products, and in rural areas, the number of households where wood is used as a means of heating is more than 2.5 million households and represents 85.00% of households registered in rural areas, rural households with incomes below the national average. (..)
• Furthermore, taking into account the gap between the incomes of the population compared to the EU average and given that they are below the EU average, the standard of living adjusted for local prices is 72% of the EU average.
• At the same time, it should be taken into account that for the managers/owners of forest funds, producers of firewood/wood pulp for the purpose of firewood, the products are secondary, and the production costs consist of the related part of the costs associated with forestry services in the year, the costs of production and I will prepare
• They are insignificant and allow them to sell firewood/timber for firewood at prices from 60 lei/m3 to 543 lei/m3. But currently, prices exceeding 700 lei/m2 have been recorded in DIY/intermediary networks,” this is shown in the explanatory note to the GEO project.

SEE DRAFT GEO AND KEYNOTE HERE

What price ceilings for firewood is the Government preparing

The draft GEO act proposes:

• Limitation of final prices in invoices a maximum of 500 lei/m2 with VAT on the types of wood needed for heating in the cold season: firewood, trimmings, chips, sawdust.
• Setting the limit of final prices in invoices for the following products: wood briquettes – a maximum of 1,500 lei/ton with VAT; wood pellets maximum – 2000 lei/ton with VAT

The regulations apply to end consumers, i.e. natural persons, as well as to the following entities: state and private educational institutions, social service providers, local interests, administrative-territorial units, as well as their subordinate units, religious units.

Measures will be applied until March 31, 2023.

Failure to comply with the provisions will be considered a violation and will be punished fines from 3,000 to 5,000 lei.

• Read more: The artificial increase in firewood prices has affected more than 3 million households. How much the Government wants to freeze prices – a project

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