Active conversations with businesses across the country begin
The Ministry of Economy and Industry is launching an active campaign to create and implement a comprehensive new policy for the development of industrial zones and parks. Their development should be linked to specific sectors and linked to the expectations of investors in those sectors. This was announced by the Minister of Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov during his visit to Shumen, where he held a meeting with representatives of the business from the region and visited the Industrial Zone in the city.
‘The new strategy for the development of the industrial zones aims to solve one of the main problems addressed to us by many of the investors we meet — unprepared industrial sites without the necessary infrastructure and resources,’ the minister said. He announced that active work has begun to prepare the sites that are needed and the infrastructure to them.
‘We see areas where there is a lack of organisation. Investors need two months to start work and start production. To be effective in attracting investors, we need to build key zones structured around specific industries, he said.
He said active talks have begun with businesses across the country. ‘The government is committed to giving stability and security to companies in the country,’ the minister said. ‘It is extremely important for us to provide predictability and support in securing the necessary resources for Bulgarian companies to develop successfully, to open new markets, to add value to their production,’ Bogdanov emphasized.
He announced to representatives of companies and investors from the region that the meetings with the business community start from Shumen for a reason. ‘We are starting from Northern Bulgaria, which with our accession to Schengen will be one of the main beneficiaries of investment projects because better logistic links will be provided along the North and South corridors,’ Bogdanov pointed out.
The Minister of Economy and Industry also visited the production facilities of Alkomet AD – the largest Bulgarian producer of aluminium products – Investor of the Year 2022. He pointed out that the company is an important example of how the Bulgarian industry should develop – to invest in modern technologies and in the development of human resources, in the creation of new products with high added value.
During his meeting with Fikret Inje, majority owner of Alkomet AD, it became clear that the company has plans for investments over the next 10 years for over BGN 300 million, as well as a new project that is expected to start within this year and early next year. Last year alone, the company invested more than EUR 27 million and opened new markets for its products in the US.