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Official urges measures to help small business into timber industry

Small business' share in stock-piling of timber only reached 5 percent last year

MOSCOW, November 5 (Itar-Tass) — First Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Zubkov ordered the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the OPORA nationwide organization for small and medium-sized businesses to work out a range of measures to expand the presence of small businesses in the timber industry.

"We are not using the potential of small and medium business (in stepping up the production volume in the timber industry) very effectively," Zubkov said at a meeting with timber company directors.

Small business' share in stock-piling of timber only reached 5 percent last year.

The first deputy prime minister cited statistics according to which the number of companies in this sector had decreased by 800 in the past three years, which makes up almost one-quarter of all production floors.

Foreign experiences shows that cooperation between large companies and small businesses in the timber sector not only is possible, but also quite effective.

"This connection, I instruct the Ministry of Industry and Trade, with the participation of public organizations, to work out such a program. It should come up with the proposals on legislative, organizational and financial support with the view of expanding the presence of small business.

Small businesses can be actively involved in such fields as clearing fire-ravaged foresters, utilizing low-grade raw materials and producing advance biofuel.