One of the largest timber companies of Segezha Group asked the government to provide targeted support to industry, by shifting the rent of plots for the period after 2023, and the obligation to restore forests after 2022. As a result, the accelerated growth in export-oriented foresters promised to partly compensate for budget losses in other sectors, such as Energy. Experts believe that the support does not need more of Segezha, and the weak companies, whose production was stopped by the coronavirus.The head of the Segezha Group (timber asset of AFK Sistema), Mikhail Shamolin April 17 sent a letter to Vice-Premier of Victoria Abramchenko with a request to provide the company with a number of benefits because of the situation with coronavirus.We are talking about transfer payments for the lease of forest plots since the third quarter of 2020 for the period after 2023. In this case the rent is not offered to index and otherwise not to raise fees for the forest resources. According to IFRS, in 2019 Segezha paid 1.1 billion of lease payments commitments for the next five years — about 5 billion rubles. in addition, Segezha requests to postpone the implementation of the commitments on the reproduction of forests (except fire fighting activities) for the period after 2022. In 2019, the amount of such liabilities amounted to 52 million rubles Mikhail Shamolin indicates that while the forest industry is least affected by the coronavirus, so that “when providing a point of support measures has the greatest potential for rapid recovery and further accelerated growth that will partially replace the retiring budget revenues from enterprises of the fuel and Energy complex, trade, services and other”. In 2019 Segezha paid about 2.3 billion rubles of taxes in OIBDA to RUB 14 billion and revenue of 58.5 billion rubles In the government did not respond to a request “b”. According to the Federal Treasury, in the first quarter of the budget received for the use of forests 9.5 billion roubles. the Volume of payments grew at the expense of increase of rates: 10.1% for timber and 19.6% for other types of use. From 2014, these rates have doubled, noted in Segezha.In Segezha Group “b” said that the benefits of the lease payments provided numerous Protocol decision of the government Commission on measures to ensure the sustainability of the economy. The released funds Segezha “could be directed to the protection of forests from fires which are a serious threat this year”. There are reminded that the enterprises of the group in terms of coronavirus continue to operate in normal mode, do not expect cuts, forced leave and shutdown of factories: “the First four months of 2020, was difficult. Nevertheless, in General we plan to finish the year with a profit and without significant revision of the investment program”.About supporting the forest industry asked for and RSPP, but performing at that time Prime Minister Andrei Belousov was supported by only part of the ideas. In particular, he agreed to extend the commitment deadline for compensatory reforestation or afforestation from one year to three years (see “Kommersant” on 14 may). While the industry was requested to transfer these liabilities indefinitely, and to allow companies to send staff on forced leave for up to six months with the payment of salaries from the Federal budget. However, Kommersant’s source in the industry said that no critical situation, the large timber companies no and companies ask for our support, “using the situation”.Consultant months of this year Marina Zotova noted that the requested Segezha support measures “are important and necessary for the industry”, not only in the period of the spread of coronavirus. At the same time, she notes, have Segezha diversified business exports about 80% of production, broad product portfolio and the geography of sales in more than 100 countries. The proposed measures, said MS Zotova, now would be especially useful for weaker companies, which suspended activities in connection with the coronavirus.Olga Matushenko
