According to the Andi Chamber of Free Trade Zone Users, free trade zones promote business growth and job creation, and foster foreign investment and international competitiveness. In Colombia, according to the same entity, there are 120 free trade zones located in 20 of the 32 departments, of which 42 are permanent (multi-company) and 78 are special permanent (single-company).
In line with this, one of the most recognized free trade zones is the Western Free Trade Zone, a green industrial park located in the municipality of Mosquera, Cundinamarca. It has over 14 years of experience and 64 companies from different sectors of the national economy that generate over 12 jobs, making it a development hub for the country's Western Savannah.
"At Zona Franca de Occidente, we work every day to provide well-being and employment for families, with the firm goal of promoting the free trade regime, strengthening the businesses of companies operating in our industrial park, and promoting and incentivizing investment and job creation in Colombia. We are an opportunity for MSMEs, investors, and entrepreneurs to establish their businesses in a safe location, with tax, customs, and environmentally friendly infrastructure benefits.", says Rosa María Gamarra, general manager of the Western Free Trade Zone.
The services of the Western Free Trade Zone, which are accessible to entrepreneurs, national and foreign investors, as well as other free trade zones in Colombia, focus on boosting the national economy through the User Operator service for multi-company permanent free trade zones and special permanent free trade zones. The latter are zones where a single industrial user establishes a business to develop industrial or service activities, with commitments to investment, job creation, technology transfer, and innovation.
“Zona Franca de Occidente, as an Operating User, plays a fundamental role in ensuring the transparency of foreign trade customs operations and compliance with customs regulations in the free zone. In this regard, we supervise, control, and manage the entry and exit of goods and services to and from the free zone. We also provide a differentiated service based on a 24/7 user experience, with competitive rates and ongoing synergies with qualified users and their clients, enabling them to expand their products and services to not only domestic but also international markets.”, says Gamarra.
Continuing with the general manager, Zona Franca de Occidente also offers real estate brokerage services for warehouses and lots located in the zone, advising entrepreneurs on establishing their companies. Being part of Zona Franca de Occidente means having a unique partner, with a commercial focus, positive experience in its services, and recognition for its environmental responsibility.
The Western Free Trade Zone is committed to sustainability.
Since its inception, the Western Free Trade Zone has been committed to contributing to environmental protection, and in that sense, its entire urban structure and infrastructure were designed to manage natural resources efficiently, sustainably, and with a sense of respect for them.
Its first initiative in favor of sustainability was more than 14 years ago, when this industrial park was built and an efficient rainwater management system was developed through an artificial pond of more than 32 cubic meters that collects all the rainwater from the park, for use in irrigating gardens, roads, platforms, warehouses, and industrial processes that do not require drinking water, with the goal of reducing the water footprint and preserving the resource.
Following this, the company began its process of reducing its carbon footprint in the industrial park's lighting system, with a three-stage project to replace sodium lamps with LED lamps, achieving an energy efficiency of over 75 percent. It is currently in the implementation phase of solar lamps. It also successfully implemented a circular economy system through the management of recyclable materials and industrial symbiosis among the park's business owners.
"Today we can also highlight other environmental projects such as incentivizing recycling for every company located in the Western Free Trade Zone, providing an economic benefit for its commercialization, as well as the planting of more than 4.300 plant and tree species, and the work of an Environmental Committee involving industrial and service companies located in the Western Free Trade Zone.", Gamarra points out.
On the other hand, it has also participated in environmental programs proposed by the Regional Autonomous Corporations in partnership with the University of the Andes, within the Sustainable Business Network, where it has received several awards for its sustainability management.
“Since 2019, we have been participating in the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) program with the goal of becoming a UNIDO/UN Eco-Industrial Park (EIP). We are one of two free trade zones in the country that has participated in the program since that year, and our goal is to be certified as an Eco-Industrial Park in Colombia,” says Gamarra, adding that “the purpose of the program is to demonstrate the viability and benefits of increasing the productivity of natural resources and improving the economic, environmental, and social performance of companies.”.
Finally, Zona Franca de Occidente invites individuals, entrepreneurs, and companies from Colombia's free trade zones to join the digital campaign "Promoters of the Free Trade Regime," which was created to educate, promote, and defend the #ZonasFrancasEnColombia regime.