Damascus-Sana
The revenue of the General Corporation for Free Zones during the past year exceeded 4.5 billion pounds, while the invested capital amounted to $ 628 million, while continuing projects to rehabilitate its facilities, activating economic activity in it, addressing the conditions of its investors, and finding solutions to break the unilateral, coercive economic measures imposed on Syria.
In a statement to SANA between the director of the Foundation, Iyad Kousa, that its revenues reached 4504 million pounds, while the value of goods entering the free zones amounted to 44 billion pounds and exported 49 billion pounds, while the invested capital approached 628 million dollars and the number of investors 908 investors occupied their facilities 6145 workers indicating that The value of customs fees achieved during the past year amounted to / 8158 / million pounds.
Kossa mentioned that the establishment is working to resume the free zones activity, which was negatively affected by the unilateral economic measures imposed on Syria by encouraging transit and commercial exchange and establishing export industries or industries that meet the needs of the local market and provide job opportunities and revenue for the treasury.
The Director of the Foundation stated that it worked on securing goods and commodities permanently to meet the needs of the local market and include goods of Iranian origin and source stored in the free zones with the benefits and exemptions covered by the free trade agreement signed between Syria and Iran with the aim of promoting trade and transit exchange pointing to the re-investment in the Adra Free Zone After leaving service due to the terrorist war, by rehabilitating the damaged infrastructure, securing services for investors, and handling the conditions of the damaged goods and mechanisms belonging to them.
The Corporation has also implemented a railroad link that links the internal free zone in Latakia with the port to secure the withdrawal of goods for investors from the port directly by rail and alleviate the financial burden on them, according to the KOSA.
Kossa pointed out to the decision to fulfill the fees that the corporation receives from the investors in the Syrian pound instead of the dollar or its equivalent according to the exchange rate determined by the Central Bank of Syria in order to support the lira and reduce the demand for coins and collect the corporation's debts from the investors in light of the difficulty of securing the pieces from the local market and the inability to transfer From abroad as a result of the forced measures imposed.
Last year, the Corporation allowed the company of Ras Al-Qattar and used engineering equipment for a period of ten years, except the year of manufacture, to secure the need of the local market from these mechanisms in the reconstruction stage and the establishment of new industrial investments such as pharmaceutical industries, infant formula and children in order to reduce the import of similar materials and drain the necessary parts for that.
Within the framework of simplifying the procedures for dealing with investors, Koussa pointed to raising the value of the raw materials of Syrian origin allowed to be entered from the local market for the benefit of industrial establishments established in the free zones from 5 million pounds annually to 50 million pounds in order to support the production process and help secure the need of industrial investors in the regions Free from local raw materials and dispensing with their import from abroad.
Kousa revealed the proposal to implement and invest in private free zones that the private sector will bear the costs of establishing and implementing to provide it to the public treasury and will have a future role in supporting the national economy.
In Syria, there are 9 free zones distributed over the governorates of Damascus and Lattakia, two each, and one each in Tartous, Aleppo, Hassake, Homs, and Daraa, and it is distinguished by its presence in the main cities and near ports, airports and land ports, which has made them regional distribution centers and crossing gates abroad.
Bushra Barhoum