THE Covid-19 pandemic is proving an effective excuse to take any shortcut deemed necessary to avoid obstacles. This is what happened when the ministry of trade issued Regulation No. 15/2020, which scraps the requirement for producers and exporters in the downstream timber and forestry industry to adhere to the verification scheme in the Timber Legality Assurance System (SVLK). Previously, this obligation, which came into force in 2009, covere