Belarus is located on the crossroads of the trade routes on the Russia – Western Europe and Black Sea – Baltic Sea axes, which encourages the continuous development of the infrastructure and of logistics centres. For this purpose, the authorities announced that in the next years over USD 1 Billion will be allocated to implement the logistics centres development strategy.
The geographic position of Belarus, between the EU and CIS states, offers huge opportunities for investors as regards the implementation of projects in the logistics sector. In addition, in order to improve the business environment and to facilitate investments, Belarus has created the Free Economic Zone (FEZ) in Minsk, Brest and other regions (there are 6 such zones), which offer a series of benefits to companies and to private investors.
In order to consolidate the strategic position on the transport map, the authorities are determined to make efforts for the purpose of developing the logistics network, by building logistics centres and developing the railway transport, including railway terminals. Therefore, at the beginning of the year, the government announced that it plans to allocate massive investments by 2015 for the optimisation of the logistics sector.
According to the development programme established for the next years, Belarus initiates the implementation of 48 investment projects amounting to USD 380 Million, and the total investments will constantly increase to USD 1 Billion (by 2015), the total area of A class storage facilities that are to be constructed by 2015 reaching more than 700,000 square meters.
Belarus has already commissioned 11 logistics centres among which Brest-Beltamozhservice, Minsk- Beltamozhservice, BLT-Logistic, OAO Ozertso-Logistic, BelVingesLogistic, SHATE-M Plus, OOO Twenty Four, OAO Belmagistralautotrans, Brestvneshtrans, Minsk-Kristal and OOO InterStroiPortal Plus.
An additional land plot as large as 19.1 hectares in Brest Oblast was earmarked to expand the service area of the cargo handling terminal Kozlovichi-2 and to offer a wide range of associated services and, at present, programmes are being implemented to increase quality at European standards. In particular, the logistics centre Prilesie (strategically located in the FEZ of Minsk) is aimed at, the largest logistics centre under construction in Belarus, which is implemented by Iranian investors. The centre offers easy access to road transport (both national and European corridors), railways (having access to the railway stations in the region) and air-borne transport (with access to Minsk International Airport).
The complex will have an area of 200 thousand square meters (as storage facilities) and 50 thousand square meters for the construction of different buildings (including office buildings, spaces for exhibitions, etc). In order to complete the project, works have been divided into two phases, the centre being totally commissioned this year.
This centre is one of the projects to determine the increase of the transport activity, but also the connectivity optimisation, the provisions of integrated services and last but not least the improvement of the investment environment and of the competitiveness. In this regard, the authorities elaborate new measures for the creation of the conditions on the operations efficiency in the national logistics centres, facilitating the conditions for the applicants which need licenses.
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