Protected areas: new SEZs will appear in Russia
The Russian government has adopted resolutions on the creation of new special economic zones (SEZs) in the Vologda, Moscow and Novosibirsk regions. Izvestia investigated why these regions were chosen and how this would affect their economic development.
Features of the regions
The Vologda SEZ is being created in the format of a compact industrial site on an area of 76 hectares in close proximity to the regional center, three federal highways, railway and aviation hubs in the region, the press service of the Ministry of Energy told Izvestia. At the first stage alone, we are talking about the implementation of six investment projects worth over 8.7 billion and plans to create 788 jobs.
"Two clusters are being formed on the basis of the SEZ — metalworking and woodworking. These are the specializations in which the region has all the necessary competencies and personnel base in order for the announced projects to take place. The metalworking cluster will include the production of bearings, fittings, corners, metal strips, amalgam lamps, and the woodworking cluster will include the production of furniture, ready—made house kits and chipboard," the ministry said.
Casting workshop at the Alabuga Special Economic Zone plant in Tatarstan
Bolshoy Serpukhov is a completely private project to create the sixth SEZ in the Moscow Region, directly in the city limits of Serpukhov, which was awarded the status of a science city last summer, the ministry said. At the first stage, the zone will be a compact area of about 30 hectares. According to the plan, a cluster of medicine and innovation will appear here, consisting of at least seven enterprises with a declared investment volume of over 8 billion rubles. It is planned to create 896 jobs in modern production facilities.
The cluster of medicine, according to the Ministry of Energy, will include the production of systems for disinfection and sterilization of endoscopes, equipment for the analysis of DNA, RNA and proteins and the identification of hereditary features of the body, the Argos cold plasma generator, the production of implants, medicines. The innovation cluster will develop technologies for autonomous fire extinguishing devices and autonomous climate control systems in the storage area, designed for extremely low temperatures.
Novosibirsk is also a completely private project of an industrial and production SEZ, but with a fundamentally different concept. In this case, we are talking about a 406-hectare site within the city of Novosibirsk in the "dry port" format in close proximity to the Trans-Siberian Railway, Tolmachevo Airport and the industrial and logistics park.
Novosibirsk
"Clusters of logistics and construction products will be formed on the basis of the site, in total, at the first stage, five projects worth investments of over 9.2 billion are expected to be implemented with plans to create 700 jobs. The logistics cluster will include two large transport and logistics terminals with container sites and distribution infrastructure, and the cluster of construction products at the first stage will include three production facilities: paving slabs, electrical equipment and wood products," the Ministry of Energy said.
Working conditions
The creation of SEZs has a positive impact on the economy: tax revenues to both federal and regional budgets are increasing, employment is growing, competition is intensifying, and production of related product groups is developing, Irina Sozdatel, vice President of the Association of Exporters and Importers (AEI), told Izvestia. In the long term, this entails the growth of neighboring regions and generally strengthens the economic structure of the country.
Lipetsk Industrial-type Special Economic Zone
SEZs offer businesses a number of competitive advantages for the implementation of projects, including localization of production in Russia and access to the Eurasian market, Albert Koroev, head of the Stock Market Experts Department at BCS Mir Invest, reminded Izvestia. Among the main support measures:
- Minimal administrative barriers.
- Tax benefits and customs preferences.
- Reduced prices for rent and purchase of land.
- Assistance in the implementation of the investment project at the first stage of its development, as well as its further support from the SEZ management companies.
The choice of specific regions is determined by the availability of suitable conditions, willingness and demand of the business. The announcement of plans to create SEZs in Novosibirsk and Vologda regions was made long before the final decision of the government. It is worth noting that sanctions have become a catalyst for the development of such zones.
Preferential treatment remains the main system tool for supporting business development in the Russian Federation, Dmitry Zemlyansky, director of the Center for Spatial Analysis and Regional Diagnostics at the IPEI Presidential Academy, told Izvestia.
A production line for medical equipment at the Dubna SEZ resident enterprise
— Today, the possibilities of direct financial support for businesses are limited, so a variety of benefits, including tax benefits, play an important role. The creation of a SEZ involves not only tax, customs and administrative benefits, but also infrastructural support for residents," the expert recalled.
Initially, when creating new SEZs, not the largest projects are announced.
— We are talking about 8-10 billion rubles of investments and the creation of about 1,000 new jobs in each of the zones. The SEZ in the Moscow Region deserves the most attention, which is being created as part of the Bolshoy Serpukhov project and involves the implementation of more high-tech projects. In this case, we can say that these projects will complement measures to support the development of the science city," Dmitry Zemlyansky said.
Selection of new places
The choice of regions to implement preferential treatment programs is dictated by the development plans of these areas, as well as the presence of investors and companies that have submitted their projects in advance, Vladimir Prokhorov, a member of the General Council of Delovaya Rossiya, added in an interview with Izvestia. First of all, the emphasis is on the manufacturing industry, high-tech sectors of the economy, tourism and logistics infrastructure.
The projects are aimed at import substitution and support for domestic production, he stressed. In the future, the selected regions will be able to have a positive impact on GDP growth.
"Companies, in turn, can count on a reduction in rental payments, receive customs relief and tax benefits," he said. — Vologda, Moscow, Novosibirsk regions already have logistical and production advantages due to the development of the capitals of the regions.
Special Economic Zone "Titanium Valley", Sverdlovsk region
In his opinion, such opportunities are a reliable springboard for future enterprises, that is, their creation will not take place from scratch. Nevertheless, the influx of funds to these regions is likely to encourage entrepreneurs from other regions to submit their projects to the government.
— It can be assumed that the number of new special economic zones will increase in the near future, — says Vladimir Prokhorov.
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