Construction of tire-making factory to begin in Lipetsk.

LIPETSK, March 23 (Itar-Tass) - A ceremony marking the laying of the
foundation-stone of a factory of the Japanese Yokohama Company to make
automobile tires is to be held in the Lipetsk Special Economic Zone (LSEZ)
on Tuesday.
A regional administration official has told Itar-Tass that investments
in the construction of the enterprise will amount to about 12,000 million
roubles.
The first phase of the factory is designed to turn out about 1.5
million tires for automobiles a year. It is planned that the first batch
of tires is to be made here as early as in April 2011. Following the
coming of the second phase into operation, tire production will grow by
another 1.4 million tires a year, and yet another 0.7 million tires will
be made when the construction will be completed.
About 1,000 new jobs will be created when the factory begins to
function. Employment will be growing subsequently. The factory is to
introduce world-standard technologies that guarantee compliance with
environmental safety requirements -- quality control, reduction in the
amount of waste, the use of secondary raw materials and waste.
The Lipetsk Region administration is ready to grant the most
preferential treatment to foreign investors", administration chief Oleg
Korolyov has told Itar-Tass. This is especially important "when such
enterprises come to the LSEZ with most-up-to-date technologies which will
make it possible to ensure a qualitative breakthrough in the economy".
Such treatment "has already made it possible to form a portfolio of
investments amounting to almost 55,000 million roubles, which have been
offered by 17 resident companies," Korolyov pointed out.
In all, about 50 resident companies with investments amounting to over
150,000 million roubles and with 14,000 jobs are to be attracted to the
LSEZ, Korolyov added.
In Russia, thirteen Special Economic Zones have been established. Two
of them, those of industrial production type, are functioning in Lipetsk
Region and in Tatarstan.
Investors in the SEZ are granted tax, customs and administrative
preferences. A preferential land-tenure treatment is also offered to them.
Besides, investors are safeguarded against possible changes in the Russian
Federation legislations on taxes and dues.

.Three airports to be modernized in Komi Republic soon.

SYKTYVKAR, March 23 (Itar-Tass) - The authorities of the Komi Republic
intend to enhance the air transportation network and bring three local
airports -- those in Vorkuta, Usinsk, and Ukhta -- up to an all-Russia
standard. All Russian flights are currently made only via the Syktyvkar
airport.
A republican administration official has told Itar-Tass that the
modernization will concern the three airports at key industrial "points"
of the region.
Actually, the air harbours are in for full reconstruction: the
emergence of runways with an artificial surfacing, replacement of signal
lighting equipment, reequipment of aprons, taxiways, intra-airfield roads
and fencing.
Not more than five years have been assigned for the large-scale
reconstruction. The drawing up of design documentation in Ukhta is to
begin this year. The airport there will begin to operate in full by 2013.
The overall cost of the facility will be over 1,500 million roubles.
The reconstruction of the airport complex in Vorkuta is to be effected
in 2013-2015. Financing will amount to over 1,100 million roubles. The
airport complex in Usinsk, the "petroleum capital" of the Komi Republic,
is to be also modernized before 2014. The cost of work will be about 1,300
million roubles. The projects will be funded under the Federal
purpose-oriented programme "The Development of the Transport System of
Russia (2010-2015)", the republican administration official specified.
All the three airports were built 20 to 30 years ago. Their technical
conditions and resources enable them to receive AN-12, IL-18, Yak-40, and
Tu-134 planes. The scope of transportation is about 100,000 people a year
and 1,000 tonnes of cargo.
These airports are key facilities for arrangements for
intra-republican passenger and cargo transportation to difficult-of-access
areas of Komi, for search-and-rescue operations, and the use of planes for
work in various branches of the economy.
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