Rapid development territories in the Far East: raw-material appendage or competitors of APR countries

The fate of the Far East and Primorye will be decided by the State Duma’s deputies in the near future, reports the Trend. A bill on territories of priority development, prepared by the Ministry of Development of the Far East, will be submitted in the lower house of parliament before Wednesday, on October 15. On Thursday, October 9, the project was officially approved by the Government of the Russian Federation. The paper has two main "carrots" for business - deregulation and tax incentives. However, experts see it as a establishment of the region in the status of "raw materials appendage".

As the head of the Ministry of Development of the Far East Alexander Galushka reported during his visit to Vladivostok in June 2014, more than 400 proposals for the establishment of territories of priority development in the Far East were considered. 38 sites were selected, but only 14 of them were included in the list of the most prepared sites. Five sites of them are planned to be placed in Primorye. The list includes the Nadezhdinskaya and Mikhailovskaya sites, Zarubino port, island Russky and VNHK project in the Partizansky district. The Primorsky Krai claims to have the largest federal subsidies and investments.

The law, which will now be examined by the deputies, provides for, according to Alexander Galushka, fast delivery of permits (during a few days), creation of free customs zones, preferential land rent and preferential connection to networks, foreign workers outside the quota and, of course, tax holidays.