Viktoras Pranckietis, the speaker of the Seimas, said that the session had to be extended for a second time so that the parliament could vote on a state forest management reform bill in the coming week.
The Seimas last week decided to extend the current session until July 7, but the bill cannot be put to a vote this week due to certain procedural violations by the Committee on Rural Affairs.
Pranckietis noted that 20 of the Lithuanian parliament’s 24 spring sessions had been extended.
The government-approved reform plan calls for streamlining the management of state forests by merging the country’s 42 forestry enterprises into a single state enterprise named Lietuvos Valstybiniai Miškai (Lithuanian State Forests).
The government estimates that the overhaul will help save 10 million euros in the company’s funds and up to 3 million euros in state budget money annually. Critics warn, however, that the reform will hit small-sized businesses in Lithuania’s regions.
Foresters have staged a warning strike to protest against the proposed reform.
Under the Constitution, the parliament’s spring session starts on March 10 and ends on June 30.
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