New draft law essentially modifies approach to creation of industrial parks, deputy economy minister

The industrial parks will be created both on the basis of public assets and private assets, while the state will provide concessions to the administering companies and residents of the parks, Deputy Minister of Economy Octavian Calmac said in a program on Radio Moldova, quoted by Info-Prim Neo. The law on industrial parks adopted in the summer of 2007 did not have positive effects. Only one decision was taken to set up an industrial park in Cainari, but it does not work. Octavian Calmac said the law does not offer concessions to the private sector when creating industrial parks. It only regulates the activity of the industrial parks created on the basis of assets that are under public ownership. Moreover, the present law allows the companies to purchase the plots they use only after 15 years and bans the administration from carrying out production activities within the park. The bill significantly modifies the approach – from the creation of industrial parks by the state to granting of concessions and assistance to the private sector in founding and developing industrial parks. The Government will give the tittle of industrial park to a company that will commit itself to administering and developing the park. It must have a plot on which to create the park in ownership or use for least 30 years. The company that will win the title of industrial park (administering company) will be able to change the purpose of the farmland free of charge, the deputy minister said. The administering company will be allowed to buy the land only after the industrial facilities are put into operation. It will also benefit from a financial contribution for creating the technical and production infrastructure from the state budget, the local budgets and the National Regional Development Fund. In order to obtain the title of industrial park, the administering company must submit an application and the feasibility study on the opportunity of founding the industrial park to the Ministry of Economy, which will draft an order and send it to the Government for approval. All the documents needed to register the industrial park will be obtained according to the one-stop office principle. The park will work for 30 years, not 15 years as at present. The administering company will be allowed to perform economic activities within the park managed by it. The bill was approved by the Government and is to be examined in Parliament.