OREANDA-NEWS. October 16, 2012. One of the key points during the working trip of the Head of Karelia to Pudozh region on October, 9 was a meeting with employees of the Pudozh Central Forest Ranger Station. For many decades forest industry was the basis for the region's economy. Joint-Stock Timber Industry Holding Company Karellesprom (JSC Karellesprom) is a main lessee there. Viktor Chikalyuk, Minister of Nature Management and Ecology of the Republic of Karelia, and Director General of JSC Karellesprom Nikolai Gubich also took part in the conversation concerning prospects of forestry industry development.

According to Alexander Khudilainen, today the republic as a whole and Pudozh region in particular face the task to extend logging, first of all: "Our task is to make logging in Karelia achieve the volume of 9-10 million cubic meters compared to the current 5 million cubic meters, to make our own consumers able to purchase the input materials within the republic, not in the neighbour regions." It will also allow to increase budget revenues at all levels.

"Forest industry is one the priority guidelines for development of Karelia. The amount of 200 million roubes it yields today is just a small part of the income we could have," – Head of the republic added.

JSC Karellesprom a considerable part of which stock is in the possession of the Government of Karelia should make its contribution to development of forestry. Recently appointed Director General of the enterprise Nikolai Gubich has told about plans of the enterprise. On his words, JSC Karellesprom will set to construction of forest roads and will achieve development of its allowable cut. For this purpose today one of the large banks provides necessary financing, and equipmnet is being purchased. This and next years it is planned to build 50 km of haulage roads that will let the company achieve the felling volume of 1,2 million cubic meters of timber in 2013. Thus, the company will continue delivering its production to the enterprises of Karelia, and is not going to take bold timber to other regions, that is not of economic benefit.

"Nikolai Gubich is an efficient crisis manager. In about one or two years JSC Karellesprom will be quite different," – Head of Karelia stated his opinion.