“The mouth of the village” is a reality that politicians should take into account when discussing in the parliament an emergency resolution that limits the price of firewood for the population at the level of 400 lei/cubic. Not only does the new law fail to protect ordinary people, it kills small businesses and encourages “we’ll figure it out” creativity.

I found Aunt Maria at the gate. He sits on a bench with his hands on his knees and looks calmly at the cubes. He is waiting for someone from Corabia to bring him fresh fish. In a knitted hat, smelling of mothballs and carefully buttoned up, he has a soft voice made for telling stories. For almost four decades, she was a history teacher at the local school in Groydibod, a village on the banks of the Danube in the south of Ault County.

He bought firewood in the summer, like any householder. Few people find mid-autumn unprepared. “I took it for 600. What a receipt, I’ve never seen anything like it. Either the forester brings it through the village, from the forest, or brings it from Korabia. He leaves with a trailer and spills it in the yard. He tells me how much it costs and I cry.”

All the peasants know how much firewood costs, but few understand how much they should get if they pay as much as they demand. For them, the price is just a number, regardless of whether it is expressed in cubic meters, sterile meters or kilograms. And they are invariably fooled by merchants who place the wood in the trailer so that there is as much as possible. And if they buy wood by the kilogram, they have a high chance of being deceived, because the weight depends on the species and how long the wood has been after cutting.

“In the forest, they charge money per cubic meter, and then they charge for wood per meter, which is much smaller. Everything is ohiometric. If you buy 8 cubic meters, you actually have 5 cubic meters. But if the firewood is put in the wrong place, you won’t have 4 cubic meters left in the yard. The man is impaled. How do you know how much wood there really is?” explains Oleksandru Ionescu, an economist from Bucharest who lives here in his native village and owns several mills.

“Now everyone is doing what they can”

Does limiting the price of firewood to 400 lei/cubic meter help people in the village? A special meeting in the middle of the day at “Poiana lui Iocan” near the abandoned well near the town hall in Gârcov, 30 kilometers from Grojdibodu. Five peasants, all-knowing like Moromete, argue about this topic.

“What is the resolution? At that price, I’ll go tomorrow and buy two tons,” says Nea Kostel, dressed in work overalls that have seen better days. Call your local logging company. “Hey boss, do you have any firewood? Solid essence, beech. 700? Okay, I’ll go to Matal.” He strokes his belly and laughs. See how much it costs, where did 400 come from? He does not know cubic meters, cubic meters or tons. He only knows the price.

The first warehouse we came across was closed. Mr. Adrian put a lock on it and went fishing. The day gives way to crucians, and the evening sleeps. He barbecues, drinks beer, and a thin dog is left behind, who does not know whether to bark at him or ask for food near the fence. “I have firewood, but I can’t sell it because I can’t afford it. I bought it for 650 in Sibiu area and they are forcing me to sell it for 400. So me and other friends took a break, we are waiting to see what happens next. Now everyone does what they can“, he says.

About a kilometer away, Mr. Christie is about to go to pick up his little girl from school. He sells beech and hornbeam firewood “with documents” for 700 lei (as measured, he does not say how much it costs). He brings it from Albica, after Sibiu, from 360 km, where he bought it for 600. These politicians, he says, should look at the state forestry farm, which the day before yesterday put a poplar tree (that is, a plot) up for auction. of wood that can be cut) from 470 lei. How did he sell it for 400 when you have so much operating and shipping costs? Who covers the cost difference? What, do volunteering?

We learn from the village that there is a warehouse in Grodibod that sells beech firewood for 900 lei and does not give a receipt. Lively activity in the warehouse can be heard from afar. He stacks firewood, the chainsaw can barely cope. Mr. Sandu chops firewood, the woman loads it into the trailer. “I give firewood for 400, under a receipt, because I agreed with the suppliers. Yes, blocked. It will automatically become a black market“, he says.

Some entrepreneurs have already found their way. A former timber merchant, who stopped his activity last year, explains to us. Some solve the problem with the pen and instead of selling firewood, they sell logs. . Read the rest on Contributors.ro