BETHLEHEM, Tuesday, July 23, 2019 (WAFA) - The first phase of the Bethlehem industrial city project will be completed by the end of this year, Minister of National Economy Khalid Ossaily said today.
Ossaily and Bethlehem Governor Kamel Hmaid accompanied the French Consul General in Jerusalem, Pierre Kochard, in a tour of the project during which they visited a number of factories in their first stage of production and which France has supported through its financial incentives program of the French Consulate General in Jerusalem in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy through local banks to build the external and internal infrastructure under the supervision of the General Authority for Industrial Estates.
They also visited the company responsible for the next stage of infrastructure work for the second phase of the industrial city, expected to be completed soon and which will cost more than 3 million euros.
Ossaily stressed the importance of the government program in the construction of industrial zones and cities to develop the national economy and attract foreign investments. He stressed that the staff of the General Authority for Industrial Estates with the support of the government is working hard to overcome all obstacles facing completion of the construction of industrial zones and cities and the operation of their industrial facilities in Bethlehem, Jericho, Gaza, Jenin and Tarqumiya.
"Work is underway at upgrading the industrial estates law and its implementing regulations, setting up arrangements for the needs and requirements of investors and developers, addressing slowdown in the implementation of internal infrastructure due to the expiry of the time ceiling of the soft loan from the Ministry of Finance for the developer to complete the internal facilities and launch more industrial projects through both Palestinian and foreign investors," he said.
Kochard, who ends his duties this month, said that the Bethlehem industrial project is a symbol of the effective joint cooperation between the French and Palestinian public and private sectors, and a success story for the two countries of great importance to Bethlehem and the Palestinian economy as a whole.
"The French government, like its Palestinian counterpart, and which is striving through the Industrial Estates Authority to achieve a sustainable industrial investment climate, will not hesitate to support economic projects that it hopes will constitute the lever for building an independent Palestinian state," he said.
The total cost of construction and operation of the industrial estate is $25 million, of which $10 million is a grant from the French government for the construction of an external infrastructure of roads, electricity, water and networks through the French Development Agency and a soft loan to the developer to enable him to meet developmental obligations. The rest will be covered by the French-Palestinian developer, BMIP, and investors at different stages of the project.
For his part, Hmaid pointed out that the company developing the Bethlehem industrial project has processed 17 out of about 52 plots in the masterplan on a 200 dunum land leased from Awqaf. He said that some industries were constructed and others are in the process in the first phase on 60 dunums of land.
Samir Hazboun, chairman of the board of the Bethlehem Chamber of Commerce and the company developing the industrial zone project, praised the support of the Palestinian and French governments, the French development agency and the executive body of the Palestinian industrial estates for this national industrial project.
The field visit included observing work of factories and the obstacles facing the new industrial facilities in the city, including stone and marble art factory, toilet paper factory, wood panel factory, flexible packaging factory, aluminum coating factory, safe doors factory, tire and plastic recycling plant, and tissue papers and toilet rolls factory. Three plants so far have benefited from the solar energy program supported by the French government through the Reef Fund.
The industrial zone will provide more than 500 direct jobs with an investment of over $55 million, while the second phase will provide an additional 1,500 jobs and automatically double the volume of investments.
The developing company, BMIP, is currently and through a soft loan from the government and funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) is preparing the land for the second phase of the project.
M.K.
