Mar 18, 2004. /Lesprom Network/. Forestry usage payments will increase, Russian Minister of economic development Hermann Gref told journalists Thursday after the governmental session during which the new forestry code edition was approved. The payments will not increase considerably at first, including those for timber felling, but later ‘timber resources value is to be raised to the economically efficient and justified level’ Hermann Gref said. ‘About 40% of Russian timber resources are sold at dumping prices’ the minister said. The new forestry code edition will contain a separate chapter dedicated to forestry usage payments and a specialized federal law will be adopted in the future to organize the procedure. Presently Russian budget profits from forestry usage are estimated at RUR 6,5 billion/yr - RUR 3 billion going to the Federal budget and 3,5 to the regional budgets. After the new forestry code edition comes into force, payment rates will be immediately increased and initial budget profits will rise to RUR 8-9 billion, the minister added.