If the state of the state economy leaves much to be desired and is absolutely unattractive for foreign investors, then one of the ways out of this situation are special zones organized on the territory of the country. Within the framework of these individual territories, it is possible to conduct a completely different industrial, investment, fiscal and tariff policy.
What are Russian special economic zones? Why are they created? Why are such places attractive for investors and what benefits do they bring to the state? We will try to answer these and other questions within the framework of this article.
Special Zones
The best experience in creating such territories belongs, of course, to European countries. Nevertheless, Russia also has a fairly serious potential in this area. To date, more than two dozen SEZs have been registered in the country. The main special economic zones of Russia can be divided into several types:
- industrial;
- tourist;
- logistics;
- technological.
A little later we will talk in more detail about the types of SEZs. And now let's talk about them.location. The special economic zones of Russia include territories in Karachay-Cherkessia, Adygea, Kabardino-Balkaria, and Dagestan. This also includes the Kaliningrad region. The newly created ones include the Crimean peninsula.
Basic concepts
There is a rather confusing terminology in this area. Let's look into it a little. Surely you have heard such expressions more than once:
- special economic zone;
- free economic territory;
- free trade zone;
- special economic zone.
How do you figure out what they all mean? There is nothing complicated here. All of the above are different names for the same phenomenon. An exception here may be perhaps a free trade zone. This concept also means free territory, but much smaller. Usually, a free trade zone is a physically separate territory in sea or air ports, where there is no customs duty at all. A classic example is Duty Free.
Goals and conditions for creating a SEZ
Special economic zones of Russia are entire territories (districts, regions, republics) that have a special legal status. They have their own preferential economic conditions. As a rule, they are extremely beneficial for domestic or foreign investors. All legal entities conducting economic activities in the territory of the SEZ are referred to as its residents.
Some conditions are required to create a SEZ:
- good geographical locationterritory;
- availability of free space for development;
- developed infrastructure;
- attract human resources with sufficient qualifications;
- opportunity to develop inter-regional and international relations;
- existence of historical activities.
Why special zones are needed
All special economic zones of Russia are designed to solve strategic problems. The creation of such territories contributes both to the development of the country as a whole and to the improvement of life in its individual regions. With the organization of the SEZ, the state solves the following tasks:
- creating a large number of new jobs for citizens with sufficient qualifications;
- attracting foreign capital to the country;
- stimulating domestic producers to invest in advanced technologies, production, infrastructure;
- retention of intellectual potential in the country;
- development and support of the domestic manufacturer.
Residents participating in the development of special economic zones also have their own benefits:
- use preferential taxation to reduce administrative and production costs;
- save on various duties, rental rates and other payments, create a more competitive product;
- have the ability to attract qualified personnel;
- increase their revenue by minimizing their own costs.
In addition, the construction of infrastructure in the SEZ is carried out by the state most often forown funds account. It also reduces the burden on residents.
What is the essence of the SEZ?
As you already understood, all the special economic zones of Russia (the list of them is quite large) help to develop or develop new territories and industries. A special regime is being created for entrepreneurs so that they can quickly reconfigure their business to new conditions. A classic example is the Crimea. This is a completely new territory, where all business has been adapted to the laws of Ukraine for a long time. Now entrepreneurs need time and perks to refocus it. Therefore, the state reduces taxes, simplifies the system of customs duties, adapts the insurance system and simplifies registration. The same is happening in other regions.
Benefits
There are preferential economic conditions for SEZ residents. For example, these:
- privileges in the field of trade - no duties on imported raw materials or spare parts if they are needed for the production of the final product, and not for resale;
- investment incentives and tax breaks - reduced or no tax rates, reduced foreign exchange controls;
- little or no restrictions on the ownership of production assets for foreigners;
- simplified standards for workplace equipment, wages, safety issues and so on;
- affordable buildings and land - the opportunity to equip warehouses and productionpremises at the minimum rental price;
- accessible and affordable services and infrastructure - utility subsidies, cheap gas, water, electricity, repaired roads, provision of transport services;
- reduced standards of environmental pollution, its protection;
- the presence of a large number of cheap labor, the absence of trade unions and other organizations of workers;
- open access to markets - both internal and external;
- long-term no income tax;
- carrying out customs procedures directly on the territory of the enterprise or expedited obtaining permits, etc.
Types of special economic zones
As we have already said, all zones with special economic conditions can be conditionally divided into the following types:
- industrial production - are huge complexes focused on the production of large quantities of a certain group of goods;
- free trade zones - territories that do not fall under the jurisdiction of the customs service; in such zones, not only the sale of products is carried out, but also its storage, testing, packaging, and so on;
- tourism - territories with a developing tourism sector, in which there are special conditions for entrepreneurs;
- service - territories where export-import and financial activities are carried out, carried out on special conditions; classic example - offshore zones;
- scientific and technical, innovative - technology parks, areas where specialconditions, developments and scientific research are carried out in a particular area of management.
Alabuga
Now let's take a closer look at some of the SEZs in Russia. Let's start with the IP SEZ "Alabuga". This industrial production zone is located in the Republic of Tatarstan, not far from the city of Yelabuga, just 25 km from Naberezhnye Chelny.
Specialization here is quite diverse:
- manufacture of buses and automotive components;
- manufacturing of household appliances;
- pharmaceutical production;
- furniture making;
- high-tech chemical production;
- aircraft construction.
42 residents are registered in this territory, and in total more than 4.5 thousand people are employed. The area of the zone is 20 square kilometers.
To become a resident of this complex, you need:
- register your company on the territory of Yelabuga municipality;
- sign an agreement with the management of the SEZ, committing to make investments in their funds in the amount of at least 1 million euros during the first year and a total investment for the entire period of the agreement - at least 10 million euros.
Entrepreneurs who have become residents of the Alabuga economic zone can count on the following preferences:
- free customs zone in which foreign equipment can be placed without paying VAT and customs duties;
- no export duty on exportmanufactured products;
- complete exemption from making transport, land tax and other payments to the budget of the republic;
- the income tax rate in the first five years is only 2%, the second five years - 7%, then, until 2055 - 15.5%;
- land plots at a very reasonable price, free access to engineering communications brought to the boundaries of the plot electricity, gas, heat, sewerage;
- exemption from property tax and other preferences.
SEZ "Dubna"
This is a techno-innovative zone, created in 2005 on the basis of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 781.
The territory of the Dubna SEZ has an area of about 200 hectares and is divided into three sections:
- town of programmers;
- nanotechnology platform;
- Nuclear physics technology area.
The priority areas of this SEZ are:
- designing complex technical systems;
- biotechnology;
- complex medical technology;
- information technology;
- composite materials;
- nuclear physics and nanotechnology.
Both individual entrepreneurs and commercial organizations can become residents of this zone. The only exceptions are unitary enterprises and foreign firms. To become a resident of the SEZ "Dubna", you need to register an enterprise on the territory of the municipality and conclude an agreement with the authorities on implementation activities.
Residents of thisspecial economic zone can also count on privileged conditions in the field of taxation and other types of support. Tax incentives can be:
- no VAT when exporting goods abroad;
- zero rate of income tax credited to the federal budget until 2018-01-01;
- 13, 5% - income tax payable to the local budget;
- 14% - payments to off-budget funds;
- 0% - land tax rate for 5 years, property tax - for 10 years, transport tax - for 5 years.
Also, residents are en titled to other preferences:
- preferential rental of premises and land;
- free connection to engineering networks and communications;
- expedited paperwork for land plots;
- free customs zone;
- high-speed data transmission systems.
In addition, residents are offered the conditions of a free customs zone, under which they do not pay import duty on foreign goods and VAT when exporting Russian goods.
Altai Valley
SEZ TRT "Altai Valley" is a tourist and recreational area. It was established in February 2007 on the basis of Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 67. The privileged position is provided for 49 years.
This zone is located 12 km from the city of Gorno-Altaysk, the center of the Altai Republic. About 2.5 thousand people have been provided with new jobs here. The area offers uniqueopportunities for its residents. Cooperation is built on the principles of public and private partnership. This means that the creation of all necessary infrastructure is financed from the budget, and the creation of tourist facilities is the share of private investment.
The State guarantees significant administrative benefits:
- non-interference in the implementation of investment projects;
- simplified check format;
- one stop shop;
- registration of leases for land plots with a regulated legal status.
Investors also expect tax benefits:
- 0% - property tax rate, as well as land tax for 5 years;
- payment for the lease of land - no more than 2% of their cadastral value;
- reduction of the transport tax rate;
- reducing income tax to 15.5%.
Turquoise Katun
SEZ TRT "Turquoise Katun" - another recreational and tourist area. It has the largest area among all existing - 3326 hectares. "Turquoise Katun" is positioned as the first and largest zone of natural and extreme mountain tourism, divided into two parts. The first is for youth. There are centers for skiers, rock climbers, rafters, trackers, a youth hotel and other adapted infrastructure. The second is for we althy tourists. There are comfortable and expensive hotels and other amenities.
This economic zone, in fact, is just beginning to develop, but already has a significant amount ofinvestors willing to invest money on attractive terms. After all, residents are also offered benefits and preferences here.
Titanium Valley
SEZ "Titanium Valley", created in the Sverdlovsk region, is also quite unique. The direction of the SEZ is the titanium industry, which is exclusive on the territory of the Russian Federation. Here, significant benefits are provided to enterprises focused on the production and high-tech processing of world-class products. The priority industries here are the processing of titanium and the production of products from it, the manufacture of equipment for metallurgical complexes and mechanical engineering, the production of building materials.
Ulyanovsk
SEZ PT "Ulyanovsk" is also focused on mechanical engineering and instrumentation. The following activities are honored here:
- instrument making, electronics manufacturing;
- aerospace;
- aircraft maintenance;
- production of electrical equipment;
- manufacture of composite materials;
- other branches of engineering.
In conclusion, I would like to say about non-resident entrepreneurs who operate in the territory of a particular SEZ. Most often, they also have the opportunity to count on part of the preferences provided for residents, since the conditions for their activities must be negotiated with the management of the SEZ.
For example, in an economic zone such as the Kaliningrad region, a reduced income tax appliesabsolutely to all enterprises, regardless of the type of economic activity and product group. That is why starting a business is the most interesting in the territory of the SEZ. Of course, when it comes to making money.
