Great Stone Head: Belarusian-Chinese Industrial Park open to foreign and national companies

Great Stone Belarusian-Chinese Industrial Park hosted a large-scale international conference – Strengthening the Republic of Belarus Capacity for Sustainable Development Goals Achievement: Strategies and Partnerships in the Context of Modern Challenges and the Climate Agenda – gathering a hundred of participants and guests

Aleksandr Yaroshenko, the Head of the Administration of the Chinese-Belarusian Industrial Park, addressed those present, “The Sustainable Development Goals are now global guidelines for many countries of the world, and Belarus holds a high place in their achievement. Decent work and economic growth are among the goals, and they have always been fundamental for our country. The idea of the Great Stone establishment was also guided by them, and – in my opinion – it has been successfully implemented.”

Mr. Yaroshenko stressed that the park was aimed to function not simply as a free economic zone. Its concept is much broader, and it includes the development of innovations and construction of a modern city. The participating companies and their new technologies act as an impetus for the development of the Belarusian economy.

“Great Stone is open to both foreign enterprises and domestic companies. There is a wide range of preferences for our investors, including tax benefits, well-developed infrastructure, and full administrative support for business. Despite a significant impact of the pandemic and geopolitical factors, the interest in the park remains high. Currently, 134 residents from 14 countries are registered with it. In less than six months, we have accepted fifteen new participants. At present, 50 enterprises are engaged into production, provision of services, and R&D. Our residents, including enterprises with foreign capital, employ Belarusian citizens, and their total number exceeds 3,000 people already. Of them, according to our assessment, 77 percent are involved into high-performance activities. Moreover, the average salary level in the Great Stone Industrial Park is almost twice the national average," Mr. Yaroshenko noted.