unitex@rubbs.fidonet.org (unitex) (09/24/89)
SEMINAR IN MOSCOW MEETS TO DISCUSS FREE ECONOMIC ZONES Posting Date: 09/24/89 Source: UNITEX Network, Hoboken, NJ, USA Host: (201) 795-0733 ISSN: 1043-7932 NEW YORK, 22 September (UN Centre on Transnational Corporations) -- A four-day international seminar, organized by the United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations and the USSR Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is being held in Moscow to hear the views of experts and potential investors on the planning of free economic zones in the Soviet Union. The meeting, which opened on Tuesday, 19 September, is due to end today. More than 400 participants were expected to attend, representing Soviet republics and local areas which wish to establish free zones, as well as potential foreign and domestic investors, government agencies and free-zone enterprises in other centrally planned economies. The Soviet Union has permitted direct investment since 1987, but only through joint ventures. It now plans to establish free economic zones where foreign firms can produce directly for Soviet consumers and export abroad. The immediate objective would be to use foreign direct investment as a resource in tackling shortages of consumer goods and constraints in production; to develop new technologies jointly; and to find outlets for such technologies abroad. Unlike free zones in some countries, which target the export market, the Soviet zones would cater primarily to Soviet consumers. The "zones of joint entrepreneurship", as they are called in the Soviet Union, are intended to fulfil the needs of Soviet consumers, including modern technology and high-quality consumer goods. Preparations for a zone near Leningrad are the furthest advanced. To date, 60 free-zone proposals have been presented to the Government for review. The United Nations Centre on Transnational Corporations is aiding the Soviet Government in planning and setting up the zones. * Origin: UNITEX --> Toward a United Species (1:107/501) --- Patt Haring | United Nations | FAX: 212-787-1726 patth@sci.ccny.cuny.edu | Information | BBS: 201-795-0733 patth@ccnysci.BITNET | Transfer Exchange | (3/12/24/9600 Baud) -=- Every child smiles in the same language. -=-