14:06
While on a visit of Borsec, Harghita county, central Romania, Borbely was informed by mayor Jozsef Mik that the forests around the town are dwindling constantly.
Borbely replied that he intends to call for harsher punishments for wood theft. At the moment, the unauthorized cutting of less than 5 cubic meters of timber is only a contravention, punishable by a fine. The minister’s proposal, which he hopes will be discussed by the Government within two weeks, is for all wood theft to be considered a crime and punished by prison.
Borbely also wants to change the country’s logging plans, which he said were based on norms developed in the 1960’s, „in Khrushchev’s day,” and translated from Russian.