According to the Andi Chamber of Free Trade Zone Users, free trade zones promote the growth of companies and the generation of employment, 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 zones is Zona Franca de Occidente, a green industrial park located in the municipality of Mosquera, Cundinamarca, which has more than 14 years of experience and 64 companies from different sectors of the national economy that generate more than 12 thousand jobs, which means that today it is a pole of development for the Western Sabana of the country.
"In Zona Franca de Occidente we work every day to bring wellbeing and employment to families, with the firm purpose of promoting the free trade regime, boosting the business of the companies installed in our industrial park and promoting and encouraging investment and job creation in Colombia. We are the opportunity for MSMEs, investors and entrepreneurs to install their companies in a safe place, with tax and customs benefits and environmentally friendly infrastructure," said Rosa María Gamarra, general manager of Zona Franca de Occidente.
The services of Zona Franca de Occidente, which can be accessed by entrepreneurs, national and foreign investors, as well as other free zones in Colombia, are focused on boosting the economy of the national territory, through the service of User Operator for permanent multi-company free zones and special permanent free zones, the latter being those areas where a single industrial user is installed to develop industrial or service activities, with investment commitments, employment generation, technology transfer and innovation.
"Zona Franca de Occidente as User Operator has a fundamental role to ensure that the foreign trade customs operation is transparent and complies with customs regulations in the free trade zone. In this sense, we supervise, control and direct the entry and exit of goods and services to and from the free zone. Inaddition, we provide a differential service framed in the experience of our users 24/7, with competitive rates and making permanent synergies with qualified users and their customers, allowing them to expand their products and services to markets not only national, but international," 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 for the installation of companies. Being part of Zona Franca de Occidente represents having a different ally, with a commercial approach, positive experience in its services and recognition for its environmental respect.
Zona Franca de Occidente bets on sustainability
Since its inception, Zona Franca de Occidente has been concerned about contributing to the care of the environment, and in that sense, its entire urban structure and infrastructure was created to manage natural resources in an efficient and sustainable manner, with a sense of respect for the environment.
Its first initiative in favor of sustainability was more than 14 years ago, when it built this industrial park and developed an efficient rainwater management system through an artificial pond of more than 32 thousand cubic meters that collects all rainwater from the park, to be used for irrigation of gardens, roads, sidewalks, warehouses and industrial processes that do not require drinking water, in order to reduce the water footprint and take care of the resource.
After that, it began the process of reducing the carbon footprint of the industrial park's lighting, with a project that was developed in three stages to change the sodium luminaires for LED luminaires, giving an efficiency of more than 75 percent in energy consumption; currently, it is in the implementation phase of solar luminaires. In addition, it managed to implement a circular economy system with the management of usable material and industrial symbiosis among the park's businessmen.
"Today we can also highlight other environmental projects such as encouraging recycling in each company installed in Zona Franca de Occidente, giving an economic benefit for the commercialization of the same, as well as the planting of more than 4,300 plant species and trees, and the work of an Environmental Committee where industrial and service companies located in Zona Franca de Occidente participate", Gamarra points out.
On the other hand, it has also participated in the environmental programs proposed by the Regional Autonomous Corporations in agreement with the Universidad de los Andes, in the Sustainable Business Network, where it has received several awards for its sustainability management.
"As of 2019 we have been participating in the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) program with the objective of becoming an Eco-Industrial Park (PEI) of the UNIDO/UN. We are one of the two free trade zones in the country that have been in the program since that year, and our goal is to be certified as an Eco-Industrial Park in Colombia," said 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 people, entrepreneurs and companies in Colombia's free zones to join the digital campaign 'Promoters of the Free Trade Regime', which was created with the aim of educating, promoting and defending the #ZonasFrancasEnColombia regime.
