|
PRESS RELEASE
Washington D.C., September 23, 2005
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko signed the
decree on an establishment of the
IT-Park in Belarus
On September 22, 2005 the President of Belarus signed the
decree #12 “On park of high technologies”.
The document is a comprehensive standard act designed to set
up a silicone valley in Belarus. When elaborating the project many similar
techno-parks all around the world were analyzed. The project is based on the
best developments in the area.
The park of high technologies is a part of the territory of
Belarus with the total area of 50 hectares. A special legal regime will be
in operation on its territory for the next 15 years. The decree stipulates a
number of preferences to the IT-Park’s residents which makes it quite
appealing to foreign investors. For instance, the decree exempts the
residents of the IT-Park from taxes and dues on revenues and sales of
commodities, work and services, as well as intellectual property rights and
profit tax.
The supervisory council is vested with the responsibilities
of the park’s administration. The Chairman of the National Academy of
Sciences, Mikhail Myasnikovich, has been appointed chair of the supervisory
council.
Among the main areas of the park’s activities are
development, application and exports of information and communications
technologies and software.
Residents of the IT-Park may be legal entities and individual
entrepreneurs involved in analysis and development of software, computer
data processing, fundamental and applied research, experimental developments
in the area of natural, technical sciences and application of such
developments in practice.
Natural persons who are not individual entrepreneurs also
could implement their business-projects if the supervisory council considers
them promising. In this case natural persons should register as individual
entrepreneurs and park’s residents.
The decree envisages that non-residents of the park have the
right to register certain business-projects with the supervisory council and
get preferences for their realization.
The decree resolves the key tasks to enhance Belarusian
standing in the IT sphere and boost exports of software. The park of high
technologies should yield real benefits to the country and its people.
|
