/ / News
11.01.2012

Number of Gomel-Raton residents doubles in 2011

GOMEL, 11 January (BelTA) – The number of residents of the Gomel-Raton free economic zone (FEZ Gomel-Raton) grew from 41 to 81 last year, BelTA learnt from deputy head of the FEZ administration Alexander Korneyev.

The highest activity of foreign and national investors was registered in December 2011. According to the official, the fact was a reaction of the capital to the effort to stabilize the financial market and is also connected with the understanding of business circles of those great prospects the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia has brought.

In 2011 the FEZ Gomel-Raton registered new residents with the capital from Russia, Germany, France, Iran, Lichtenstein, Ukraine, Latvia and some other countries. All of them will be engaged in the manufacture of products for export and import-substituting goods. “This is an obligatory condition for all the residents as long as they have advantages on the internal market in the form of preferences and tax concessions provided by the status of the FEZ resident,” Alexander Korneyev said.

The Free Economic Zone Gomel-Raton was created in pursuance of a presidential decree in 1998. The FEZ is located in Gomel and Gomel District, in the towns of Mozyr, Rechitsa, Svetlogorsk, and Dobrush. In January-November 2011 the FEZ resident companies raised $66.3 million worth of investments as against $33.4 million in the same period last year. The FEZ resident-companies maintain export/import operations with 62 countries around the world. Since the inception, the FEZ’s foreign trade has reached almost $3 billion, including more than $642 million in January-November 2011. The foreign trade surplus made up $28.7 million. A total of 6,047 new jobs have been created in the FEZ since its founding.