OREANDA-NEWS. September 09, 2010. First five enterprises opened in Navoi free industrial-economic zone in central Uzbekistan on the eve of the country’s Independence Day. They operate in sectors like electronics, car parts production, polymers processing and food industry.

Telecom Innovations joint venture, which has a production capacity of 50,000 digital TV receivers per year, was set up by Uzbektelecom and Servetechno Pte. Ltd (Singapore). The total cost of the project is USD 1.6 million. The new company provided more than 30 young specialists with jobs.

Two new companies will produce polyethylene and polypropylene pipes. First enterprise, Polietilen Quvurlari, will produce 8,600 tons of 75 to 630 mm polyethylene pipes per year. The cost of the project, which employed about 70 people, is USD 7.2 million. At full capacity, the company is expected to export over USD 5.9 million worth of products.

The second enterprise, Polipropilen Quvurlari, is designed to produce 2,300 linear kilometers of 16 to 63 mm polypropylene pipes per year. The cost of the project is USD 5.2 million. Up to 50% of the ready products will go to export. The company employed more than 40 specialists.

UzЕгаеCable joint venture was set up by Uzvtosanoat and Егае cs Ltd of South Korea. It will produce 150,000 km of car cables per year. The total cost of the project is USD 13 million. The main purchaser of the products is Uzodji joint venture, which makes car harnesses for GM Uzbekistan plant. Besides, 20% of the production will be exported to GM enterprises in the region.

AgroFresh JV, founded by Markazsanoateksport and Kefayat General Trading Co. (UAE), is capable of storing up to 3,000 tons of fruit and vegetable products. The company has modern Italian refrigerating equipment with a regulated gas environment. The cost of the project is USD 5.03 million. Up to 50% of products will be exported. The company employed over 20 people.

Navoi free industrial-economic zone was founded in December 2008 in accordance with the President’s decree to create favorable conditions for attracting foreign investments to Uzbekistan, create modern highly technological enterprises and develop the country’s industrial potential and industrial, transport and social infrastructure.

Residents of Navoi FIEZ enjoy unprecedented preferences, including tax-free and preferential currency regime, as well as simplified rules of stay for foreign personnel.

Today, Navoi FIEZ is virtually ready for placement of new enterprises, with all engineering communications in place, including drinking and technical water, canalization, electricity, natural gas, telephony, automobile roads and railway lines.

The construction of the administrative and the financial center buildings has been completed for provision of administrative, banking, finance and other related services. The customs post was built for customs clearance of import and export goods.

At present, 16 projects are being implemented in Navoi FIEZ. Five of them have already started functioning, and seven more are to be launched by the end of this year. The new enterprises will produce energy saving bulbs, LCD monitors, electric gas meters, ready medicines, generators, compressors and instrument sets for GM Uzbekistan cars.