Vitebsk PLKHO invested almost Br17 billion in the development of forestry enterprises in January-September.

November 3, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. The Vitebsk Production Forestry Association (PLHO) invested almost Br17 billion in the development of forestry enterprises in January-September, the deputy general director of the association, Svetlana Sipovich, told a BELTA correspondent. The main part of the funds (72.7%) was directed to the purchase of logging trucks and logging equipment. Part of the investments went to the creation of production facilities for the output of wood fuel chips in the Begoml and Lepel forestry enterprises, as well as the construction of nine hunting estates. The facilities are being built in the Vitebsk, Orsha, Lepel, Disna, Shumilino, Bogushevsk, Verkhnedvinsk, Postavy and Surazh forestry enterprises. Currently, the estates are at different stages of construction. The commissioning of the facilities is planned for 2009-2010. In addition, the development of the road network continues in the region's forestry enterprises. Thus, over the past period, 4.4 km of forest roads were built in the Orsha forestry enterprise, 5.7 km in the Liozno forestry enterprise, and 3.1 km in the Bogushevsk forestry enterprise. In total, by 2012, in accordance with the regional program "Forest", it is planned to build at least 100 km of forestry roads in the region. In January-September, the forestry enterprises of the Vitebsk PLHO sold products worth Br57.2 billion. The profitability of sales was 5.5%. Exports for 9 months reached $5.7 million. Its share in the total sales volume is 25.6%. Supplies were mainly to Poland, the Baltic countries, and Russia. The Vitebsk Production Forestry Association includes 19 forestry enterprises. Currently, work is underway to attach two of them (Gorodok and Beshenkovichi) to OJSC Vitebskdrev. It is planned to complete this process by 2010. -0-