Investments increase by 24 per cent in Moldovan Free Economic Zones in 2016

Chisinau, 6 March /MOLDPRES/ - Investments worth 55.2 million dollars were attracted in the Free Economic Zones (FEZ) in 2016, up by 24 per cent against 2015.  

According to data by the Economics Ministry (ME), starting from the creation of FEZ (1996), the total volume of the investments has amounted to 285.3 million dollars, of which 141 million dollars in the last five years. As much as 68 per cent of all the foreign investments attracted in 2016 went to FEZ Balti and 18 per cent – to the Free Entrepreneurship Zone Expo-Business-Chisinau.     

According to ME data, on 1 January 2017, 181 residents were registered in the seven Free Economic Zones – FEZ Balti, Ungheni-Business, Expo-Business-Chisinau, Free Entrepreneurship Zone PP Taraclia, Free Entrepreneurship Zone Tvardita, Free Entrepreneurship Zone PP Valkanes and Free Entrepreneurship Zone PP Otaci-Business, by 23.4 per cent more against the similar period of the last year.     

Data by the Economics Ministry shows that the share of industrial activity, which has become the priority kind increases in the free economic zones, grows in FEZ. Thus, in 2016, the total volume of goods made and services provided in free economic zones stood at about six billion lei, of which the quota of the industrial output was of 74.5 per cent. Analyses also show that the net sales of industrial production (at current prices) amounted to 4,458.8 billion lei in all free economic zones in 2016, by 10.4 per cent more against 2015. As much as 81.4 per cent of the production made in FEZ was exported.    

The residents of the free economic zones last year produced 22.3 million automobile seat covers, insulated electric cable worth 1,081.6 million lei, electric wiring for vehicles worth 519.4 million lei, 2.1 million square metres of carpets, 212 tons of wool yarn and 1.9 thousand tons of synthetic yarn, furniture worth 25 million lei, 34.1 million square metres of glass fibre nets, 14.8 million lei of metallic constructions, 7.7 thousand tons of crude oil, 89 tons of paint, as well as 0.3 million decalitres of grapes wines, 91,000 decalitres of cognacs, 780.6 million units of flexible articles for bottling alcoholic drinks, 129 tons of salami, etc.      

The overall taxes and other compulsory payments calculated in the reporting year, according to the situation on 1 January 2017, stood at 216 million lei, increasing by 16.4 per cent against the situation recorded on 1 January 2016. The biggest share of all taxes and compulsory payments calculated goes to the residents of FEZ Balti (43.5 per cent), FEZ Ungheni-Business (30 per cent) and Free Entrepreneurship Zone Expo-Business-Chisinau (17.6 per cent).   

(Reporter A. Mardare, editor L. Alcaza)