Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev rejected the law on new fines for felling trees.

A law increasing the fine to US$1,000 for illegal tree felling has been rejected by the President of Uzbekistan. This was announced on Tuesday, on 15 August, in his Telegram channel by the leader of the Milliy Tiklanish party, deputy of the Legislative Chamber of the Oliy Majlis Alisher Kadyrov.

“For illegal logging in the United States, fines of up to US$100,000 are envisaged, in France - US$150,000, and in Saudi Arabia - up to US $8 million,” writes Alisher Kadyrov, saying that Uzbekistan has a law providing for a fine of only up to US $1,000 for the same acts, was rejected by the Head of State.

The deputy adds that “the objection is true” and calls for a review of the law.

In May this year, at the fortieth plenary session, the Senate approved the Law on Amendments and Additions to the Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan on Administrative Liability Related to Increased Fines for Illegal Cutting, Uprooting, Damage, Destruction or Replanting of Trees and Shrubs, Other Plants and Saplings.

In particular, the document envisaged the imposition of a fine of 10 to 15 sizes of basic estimated value (from 3.3 million to 4.95 million soums) on citizens for these actions, and from 15 to 20 sizes of basic estimated value (from 4.95 million to 6.6 million soums).

In addition, it was planned to establish responsibility for the preparation of project construction documentation, which may lead to felling, uprooting, damage or destruction of valuable species of trees and shrubs.

For the repeated commission of the same offenses within a year after the application of an administrative penalty, the amount of a fine for citizens was assumed to be from 15 to 25 sizes of basic estimated value (from 4.95 million to 8.25 million soums), and for officials - from 25 to 35 sizes of basic estimated value (from 8.25 million to 11.55 million soums).

Also, according to the law, administrative arrest for up to fifteen days could be established for this offense.