Brest Free Economic Zone

The Free economic zone “Brest” (FEZ "Brest") is the first FEZ in the Republic of Belarus. It has been functioning officially since December 1996. The territory of the FEZ “Brest” consists of two areas situated to the north-west and east of the city of Brest. It covers an area of over 70 km. An international airport is also located on the territory of the FEZ.

The FEZ borders on the Republic of Poland along the Bug River over a length of 10 km. In the south it adjoins Brest and is separated from the city by the railway Brest-Bialystok-Kaliningrad. A cargo highway of international importance crosses the territory of the FEZ “Brest” with the border control point “Kozlovichi”.

The city of Brest is situated at the crossroads of important ways linking the west to the east and the north to the south, which is favourable to the FEZ. Transit passage E-30 Berlin-Warsaw-Brest-Minsk-Moscow is of particular importance. Straight ways to Vilnius and Kiev, as well as a developed network of roads of good quality on the territory of the region, allow conveying people and cargoes to the industrial zones and back.

The FEZ accepts investments for creating, in the first place, enterprises of pharmaceutical, automotive, food, electronic, furniture, machinery construction and woodworking sectors of industry. The priority will be given to the investments for the organisation of export and import-replacing manufactures. A wide network of customs warehouses and expansion of the existing transport infrastructure are also provided for. On the initial stage, it is possible to use the existing warehouses, transport and power constructions and communications, as well as qualified labour force from Brest and the adjacent areas.

Taxes: exemptions and preferences

Customs duties are not collected and measures of the economic policy are not taken when goods (raw stuffs, materials, equipment) are imported into the territory of the FEZ “Brest”.

The goods (works, services) produced by the zone residents are exempted from the customs duties if exported outside its territory.

Foreign employees are granted unimpeded transfer abroad of the incomes gained on the territory of the FEZ “Brest”.

No quoting and no licensing are imposed on the goods (works, services) produced on the territory of the FEZ “Brest” to be exported from the Republic of Belarus.

No enforcement measures, such as nationalisation, requisition, seizure, or other measures of a similar character, are allowed with respect of the investments on the territory of the FEZ “Brest”.

Intervention in the economic or other activity of an enterprise with foreign investments on the part of state authorities or their officials is not allowed. The governmental guarantees are set forth in “the Investment Code of the Republic of Belarus” and the law “On Free Economic Zones on the Territory of the Republic of Belarus”.

The FEZ territory enjoys a preferential taxation system. The tax on profit and incomes is 15% (30% in the Republic of Belarus), the value-added tax is 10% (20% in the Republic of Belarus).

The residents of the FEZ “Brest” generating their profits due to the sale of in-house services and products are exempted from the profit tax during the first 5 years as from the moment of the profit declaration. The residents of the FEZ “Brest” exporting at least 70% of their products pay the profit tax at the rate of 50% of the tax tariff during another 5 years.

Administration of the FEZ “Brest”

Kommunisticheskaya str., 23,
Brest 224030, REPUBLIC OF BELARUS
tel: + 375 162 20 46 31, + 375 162 23 80 94
fax: + 375 162 20 08 83
e-mail: info@fez.brest.by
Internet: http://www.fez.brest.by