"Prykarpattia - a region for relocation"
On October 13, Kalush hosted the participants of the regional-level forum - "Prykarpattia - a region for relocation", which took place on the initiative of the Ivano-Frankivsk Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Women's Chamber of Commerce with the support of UNDP.
The main goal of the event is to consolidate the efforts of local authorities, scientists and practitioners to develop strategic directions for development and specialization of the region in the context of the wave of forced relocation of enterprises from war-torn regions of Ukraine.
The speeches of the participants of the round table were extremely meaningful, and the excursions to the relocated enterprises were interesting.
The round table in Kalush was attended by representatives of local authorities, public organizations, local and relocated enterprises.
As the Mayor of Kalusa, Andriy Naida, noted, the community provided shelter for many businesses displaced from the war zone. Some of them will return home after the war, but their units will remain working in Kalush.
According to the mayor, Kalush is an industrial and investment-attractive city. Advantages for business — developed infrastructure, proximity to the border, there are many educational institutions that are ready to train the necessary specialists, in particular the Polytechnic College, the Ivano-Frankivsk National Technical University of Oil and Gas. Kaluska community is the second most populous in the region, with about 88,000 residents. The industrial potential is formed by 40 large and 500 small enterprises. According to indicators of industrial production, the community is the leader of Prykarpattia.
Kalusha also has the largest areas of industrial land, and a significant share of it is concentrated in one industrial site. Here there are the necessary sanitary and protective zones and the possibility to place enterprises of any profile - such prerequisites are not found anywhere else in the region. In addition, small business is developed in the community: in 2012 there were 580 entrepreneurs, in 2021 their number will already be 1,069.
A private industrial park "Kalush industrial HUB" was also created in Kalush, which was selected for transformation into an eco-industrial park. Moreover, according to the mayor, the industrial park provided its space to relocated businesses, and equipment evacuated from the war zone is stored here for free. In addition, the Kalusa City Council is creating an industrial park in an industrial zone on an area of about 40 hectares - they have already ordered the development of its concept. After the concept is approved by the Kaluga City Council, the park will be submitted for state registration. The city council also approved the concept of an industrial park in Bodnarov — the procedure for its registration is still ongoing.
As you know, the business operating in the territory of the industrial park enjoys tax and other advantages. These sites can be an ideal option for locating relocated enterprises. Andriy Naida reported that the city council is ready to support such enterprises, in particular, to set minimum rates for land fees and property tax for them.
Separately, the mayor emphasized that agriculture is also developed in the Kaluska community: "Goodwelly Ukraine" LLP ranks second among the most powerful pig farms in Ukraine. In general, the leading agricultural company of the region cultivates about 12 thousand hectares of land.
According to Andrii Naida, the community has potential for tourism development as well - there are interesting locations.
As the deputy head of the city's economic development department, Tetyana Senkiv, reported, there is a state relocation program in Ukraine: businesses are helped in finding suitable sites, with the transportation of equipment, etc. The Kalusa community has a number of advantages, in particular, a database of land plots and real estate objects has been created. A working group was formed in Kalusha. Local businesses, particularly property owners, have been asked to accept relocated businesses. As a result, 84 applications were received from those willing to accept business from war zones. 13 enterprises, most of them from Kharkiv, have already completed the move and are working at a new location, another 3 are conducting preparatory work (repair of premises, installation of equipment), 6 enterprises have moved equipment and are storing it on the territory of the community. 10 proposals from the working group are at the stage of development.
Among the enterprises relocated to Kalush, which are engaged in production activities, there is a construction composite armature factory "Imperativ yua" LLC from Kharkiv, a producer of fodder and animal products NPP "Suzirya" from Kharkiv, a manufacturer and supplier of hydraulics LLC "Motorimpex" from Kharkiv, paper and cardboard producer LLC "Zmiyivska Paper Factory" from Kharkiv region, State Research and Design Institute of Basic Chemistry "NIOKHIM" from Kharkiv, manufacturer of non-woven materials "K. Tex" from Irpen. Also, a trade establishment and a catering establishment - a coffee shop - moved to Kalush.
Everyone was united in the fact that, despite the difficult times, the Kaluska community remains in the leading positions in the region in terms of the volume and pace of sales of products, and management decisions are an effective factor for development circulation and investment attraction.
Together to victory!