More Russian Far Eastern ports to join porto franco regime
Russian Governments and regional authorities plan to expand the Freeport mode after the Port of Vladivostok, with inclusion of another seven seaports of the Far East region, a Russian government minister said on Wednesday.
The Minister of Development of the Far East Alexander Galushka told Russian President Vladimir Putin and Deputy Prime Minister, Presidential Envoy in the Far Eastern Federal District Yuri Trutnev that the following ports are expected to join the porto franco regime: Vanino, Sovetskaya Gavan, Nikolaevsk-on-Amur, Korsakov, Petropavlovsk Kamchatsky, Pevek and Anadyr.
The relevant bill is being finalized by the Russian government to submit to the State Duma.
"There are now two bills on approval by the government and the documents are being finalized for submission to the State Duma. Those are on the Far East. The first bill is about the extension of the Freeport mode on other key harbors of the Far East... And the second concerns the recent decision to reduce the energy tariffs in the Far East to the average of Russia", the official was quoted as saying.
To date, thanks to new mechanisms of the Far East development the total volume of external investments have totaled more than 1 trillion rubles, including RUB 950 billion invested by private entities and RUB 80 billion of public investments.
These projects will help generate 55,000 jobs, the official said, adding that until the end of this year 16 new factories will be put into operation, with 41 new project to start in 2016 and 70 projects to follow in 2018. Between 2021 and 2023 200 new factories will be launched in the Far East.
Of the already opened 200 businesses, 40% are manufacturing enterprises, 20% are transport and logistics operators, 20% specialize in agri business and 10% will be engaged in tourism and different services.