The Zona Franca de Occidente and its master plan that includes an investment of 33,600 million pesos for the next 10 years, and an estimated investment of 500 million dollars for the next 30 years received the endorsement of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism at the end of 2021, ratifying the extension of the industrial park.
Rosa María Gamarra, manager of Zona Franca de Occidente, explained the plans and legal stability of the regime in Colombia, encouraging foreign investors to continue creating development and growth for the country and participation in strategies such as nearshoring.
How is the renewal given and what is the plan for the future?
This extension granted by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to the Free Trade Zones is given after investment letters with the plan we have for 10 and 30 years.
The free zones must comply with a series of requirements established by the normal and the same for all the companies that want to be constituted, we have fully complied with the commitments and what it means, we have already 13 years of operation and we have generated more than 184,000 million pesos in investment from the hand of our users and for the infrastructure of the park and more than 7,800 jobs between direct and indirect.
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By 2022, we plan to have the largest food industry cluster in the region,
The primary investment goal for the next ten years is 33,600 million pesos and estimated investment commitments of 500 million dollars, leveraged by our users, which is excellent news not only for Mosquera and the region but also for the country, because we encourage the attraction of investment and a very important part in technology and innovation.
How much do you estimate the generation of jobs?
It is close to 25,000 direct jobs and 50,000 indirect jobs in the next 10 years, which is very important especially for the situation we are experiencing in the country and for the reactivation and recovery of the economy.
We hope that with the investment and with the support of the users we can have a higher growth, since in 2021 we close with a growth of 71% in customs operations compared to 2020 and with the projection of bringing more alliances and investment mainly in the technology sector, although it is not the only sector that interests us.
In what other sectors will you focus?
We are recognized for having 13 economic sectors within the country and we highlight pharmaceuticals, health sciences, chemicals, logistics, technology, food, plastics, cosmetics, metalworking, construction, precious metals and others, we want investments not only in technology but also in plastics we have the projection and in food we hope in 30 years to be a cluster and there are already many interested in starting their operations and it also happens in services and for obvious reasons in health sciences.
How have you been doing with the vaccination?
We have promoted the issue, we are supported by the mayor's office and the industrialists in this process and the workshops, although we do not participate in the logistics of distribution, we are supporting immunization and our firms in the pharmaceutical sector.
What is coming this year in foreign investment?
We have the commitment that more than 30 companies have reaffirmed their intention to continue with us, we will have the first mega data center with investment in technology and with the possibility of jobs, also hand in hand with our users we hope to have a more advanced industrial silver in the use of recycled plastics and also the largest food industry cluster project in the region and from where we are exporting.
How are you working on the nearshoring issue?
We are working on an intra-nationalization plan that we have carried out with our allies, we have the support and advice of guilds such as Amcham, Invest in Bogota, ProColombia and the Ministry of Commerce itself. What we did is that in one year we established a roadmap based on the sectors we are interested in attracting to the country.
We are already working on the nearshoring projects in the free trade zones, we have already done it especially with North American companies that are interested in relocating to our free trade zone and we have presented in meetings and with visits the advantages of the regime that we have.
We are leading a program to be promoters of the free trade regime and we also seek to highlight the benefits and advantages we have not only for local entrepreneurs but with a special focus on foreign companies to encourage reinvestment.
Article from: PORTFOLIO
