Forest villagers will be supported up to 10 percent of their wood sales income.

The Regulation on the Implementation of Distributions in Kind or Cash to be Made to Forest Villagers Working at Fixed Prices in the Forestry Activities of the General Directorate of Forestry came into force after being published in the Official Gazette.

The aim of the regulation is to support the on-site development of forest villagers working in forestry activities, to prevent migration from rural to urban areas, to encourage returns to rural areas, and to eliminate the workforce supply deficit to work in forestry activities.

Accordingly, up to 10 percent of the remaining amount, after deducting production expenses, from the sales income of wood-based forest products obtained within the territorial boundaries of their villages, will be distributed in kind or cash to forest villagers working in unit price forestry activities.

In order for forest villagers to be eligible, it will be necessary to determine and document from the General Directorate's information system that those who are registered in the forest village population subject to distribution have resided in the forest village in question for at least 1 year without interruption. Forest villagers who are registered with the population of another village and have resided in the forest village subject to distribution for at least 3 years without interruption and who have documented their residence conditions in the General Directorate's information system will also be able to benefit from this distribution. It must also be stated in the relevant records and payment documents that he has worked on his own behalf or as a cooperative partner, on a unit price basis, based on a contract or specification, in at least one of the forestry activities within the civil boundaries of the forest village in which he resides, and that no criminal record has been issued against him due to forest crime in the current year subject to distribution.

The distribution rate to be made to the right holders and the method of distribution in kind or in cash will be determined by the General Directorate each year by obtaining the "Approval" of the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry following the finalization of the current year's balance sheet subject to distribution, and the distribution amounts for each forest village will be calculated by the business directorate.

50 percent of the determined distribution amount will be paid equally to those on the entitlement list in the relevant forest village, and the remaining 50 percent will be paid to those on the same entitlement list in the relevant forest village, calculated in proportion to the progress payment amounts paid for the work they have done on their own behalf or as a cooperative partner in the forestry activities in the current year subject to distribution, and the total amount will be determined. The determined total amounts will be deposited into the bank accounts of the beneficiaries after legal deductions are made by the business directorate from the General Directorate's revolving fund budget.

If it is decided to make the distribution in kind to the beneficiaries, the needs will be determined by the business directorate within the framework determined by the General Directorate and will be purchased and distributed to the beneficiaries within the framework of the relevant legislation. The total cost of tools and materials to be distributed in kind to the right holder cannot exceed the cash distribution amount calculated for the right holder.

The annual total amount of distribution in kind or cash to be made to each beneficiary cannot exceed the monthly net minimum wage determined by the Minimum Wage Determination Commission. If more than one minimum wage is determined by the Minimum Wage Determination Commission on different dates in the current year subject to distribution, the average of the monthly net minimum wages in question will be taken.

Source: TRT Haber Ekonomi RSS (Open Press / Translated Full Text)