The Deputy Minister of Environment and Energy, Giorgos Amyras, issued an order to intensify controls by the Forestry Services for the phenomenon of profiteering in the firewood market.
Due to the special conditions created this year by the energy crisis and the large price increases observed internationally in oil, natural gas and electricity, citizens are looking for alternative forms of heating by purchasing and using firewood.
The increase in demand for firewood is likely to be exploited and used for profiteering by unscrupulous merchants, who will try to create artificial shortages, in order to inflate prices.
For this reason, it is considered necessary to intensify the checks by the locally competent Forestry Services, with the aim of preventing and suppressing any criminal behavior, in cooperation with the Greek Police and the Service of the General Secretariat of Public Revenue of the Ministry of Finance.
Targeted audits
Intensive controls aim at:
– dealing with the illegal cutting of firewood either by private individuals for their own use, or by private individuals for trading, or by foreigners from neighboring countries, as well as the transportation and trafficking of illegally cut firewood.
– monitoring the activity of those involved in all stages of selling legally cut firewood, with an emphasis on the accumulation and sequestering of large undistributed quantities, thus creating an artificial shortage.
It is recalled that firewood is already available – free of charge or for a nominal fee – from the Forestry Labor Cooperatives to residents of mountainous and forested areas throughout Greece, while residents were given the opportunity, either as an organized community or individually, to cut down trees under the supervision of the forest services.
Latest News
Europeche: Greek Apricot Production Recovers
Europeche forecasts the production will bounce back despite a slight decrease in varieties attributed to high winter temperatures
Bank of Greece (BoG): Business-Household Deposits Up 1,675bln in March 2024
In March 2024, the monthly net flow of credit to the general government was negative by 469 million euros
FT: Greece’s Economic Rebound a Balance of Growth and Poverty
Eurostat data revealed a significant 10.8% drop in Greek public debt relative to GDP in 2023, alongside a 2% economic expansion, outpacing Germany's performance.
Lavrio Port Authority Next Up for Privatization
A deadline for the submission of expressions of interest is May 14, 2024
Eurostat: Greece Records Largest Drop in Natural Gas Prices in 2nd Half of 2023
The price of electricity and natural gas in Europe was down following a substantial surge that began before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and peaked in 2022
GEK TERNA Still Considers Leveraging Concessions Portfolio as Financial Tool
President and CEO of Gek Terna George Peristeris explained the company's plans on Tuesday on the sidelines of the inauguration of sections of Greece's E65 highway
NielsenIQ: 3% Supermarket Revenue Increase in Q1
Private label products are gaining traction, comprising 25.4% of shopping basket shares, up from 24.7%
Store Hours Change Today in Observation of Orthodox Easter
The President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce hopes the Easter period will provide a much-needed boost to retail traffic in the capital
Athens-area Mass Transit Systems Set to Finally Install Contact-less Fare Payment
Paying fares via bank cards, smartphones and smartwatches in all mass transit systems in the Greek capital, namely, buses, trolleys, the metro and tram lines, is scheduled by the end of the year
Council of State Rejects Motion Against Thessaloniki Motorway Project
The motion was filed earlier this month by three local citizens’ and environmental groups and generated a high court decision for a temporary stay in construction