On October 26, Vitebsk / Sergey Kotov - BELTA /. Residents of the FEZ "Vitebsk" attracted about $13.1 million in direct foreign investment in January-September this year, which is more than 20% more than in the same period of 2010. This was reported to a BELTA correspondent by the investment and economic department of the FEZ administration. In total, since the beginning of the FEZ "Vitebsk" activity, more than $140 million in direct foreign investment has been attracted, with operating residents of the free economic zone having mastered over $160 million in investments. In January-September, residents exported products worth almost $140 million. The balance of foreign trade operations, according to data for 8 months, was positive and amounted to $10.4 million. Residents of the FEZ "Vitebsk" export products to 22 countries. Based on the results of work in January-August, resident enterprises increased the production volume of import-substituting products by 76.3% to almost Br364 billion. The growth rate of the total output volume in the FEZ "Vitebsk" was 172.2% at current prices compared to the same period in 2010. In 2011, more than 400 jobs were created at resident enterprises of the FEZ, and in total, over 8,000 specialists work in the FEZ. The FEZ "Vitebsk" was established in August 1999. Today, 44 investment projects are being implemented in the FEZ. More than 60% of FEZ residents are joint and foreign enterprises, created with the participation of investors from 13 countries, including Germany, Poland, the USA, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, Russia, Canada, Holland, and Israel. The industrial potential of the FEZ is based on enterprises operating in the fields of mechanical engineering, woodworking, food, chemical, fuel, and light industry. The territory of the free economic zone includes 12 sectors with a total area of over 2.1 thousand hectares, located within the city limits of Vitebsk, Postavy, Orsha, Barani, the urban-type settlement of Bolbasovo (Orshansky district), as well as in the Vitebsk region. -0-

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