Kindling has become scarce in Moldova as the population seeks cheaper ways to heat their homes

The Moldovan government has launched a special website which will help citizens find firewood to heat their homes, authorities announced this week.

“The site provides information about the nearest forestry, thus facilitating the process of providing the population with firewood for heating,” the press service of the Moldovan Cabinet of Ministers said in a statement.

Firewood has become scarce lately as more people shun paying soaring gas bills. Due to the shortage, a limit of 5 cubic meters of firewood has been set per household which is sold at below-market prices, local media reports.

Earlier, the country’s government also launched a hotline where people can get information on firewood storages and notify the authorities of cases of corruption and illegal tree felling.

One of the poorest nations in Europe, Moldova has been grappling with record-high annual inflation of over 30%, driven largely by energy costs.

READ MORE: Poor European nation fears economic crash – Bloomberg

Authorities have been urging households to reduce gas consumption as much as possible, as prices have jumped roughly fivefold since the start of the year. The country is also facing a deadline on October 1 to negotiate debt repayment with Russia’s Gazprom. If the talks fail it could lead to a full cutoff of gas supplies.

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