Tbilisi Mayor announces tougher sanctions for illegal cutting of trees

The fine for illegal cutting and damage of trees in the capital will be increased from 500 to 5,000 GEL, whole the repeated action will see the increase of fine from 1,000 to 10,000 GEL, Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said on Wednesday, stating that the bill will be submitted to Tbilisi City Council and the country’s state legislature.

Kaladze also said that starting the construction on the location where trees were deliberately damaged would be banned.

He claimed that the tightening of the legislation would also concern an expert opinions, and in case an exporter submits a wrong conclusion on a healthy tree, it will be fined initially, and in case of recurrence, the company activity will be suspended.