Lukashenka sells out lots in Minsk at $10 per one

Plots in Kupala Street-Bahdanovich Street- Svislach River area are sold to the state of Oman.

“Belarus plans to use Oman for promotion of its products in the region,” “Belarus sees Oman as a key partner in the region”, “Oman, Belarus ink pact to form business council”. Such headlines have appeared in today’s Belarusian mass media covering the visit of the Belarusian “parliamentary’ delegation to Oman, AFN informs.

But the visit itself, as well as the interest to this Arab country in March, have sparkled not by chance. One more quotation from information agencies reports would be closer to the topic: “Belarus invited Oman to participate in construction of medium-price hotels to create necessary infrastructure for ice hokey championship in 2014”. It is no mere chance that Prince Sayyid Fahad bin Mahmood al Said receiving Belarusian guests thanked for the interest to development of relations.

The Belarusian delegation hasn’t arrived to Oman empty-handed, but with the text of the decree #93 of March 1 (registration number #1/11414 in the National register of legal acts), according to which A. Lukashenka agreed to sell land in the centre of Minsk to Oman to private ownership. The matter concerns a plot (a triangle) among Yanka Kupala Street-Maxim Bahdanovich Street- Svislach River (at the moment Belexpo exhibition centre is situated there).

The land is sold at $10 mln without holding an auction for 6-year construction of a multi-function complex, including engineering and transport infrastructure. The project is to be financed by the State General Reserve Fund of Oman.

Together with the land, the foreign legal entity “Orel Properties” representing interests of Oman will receive free of charge the National exhibition centre BelExpo, the 2nd hospital and the building of re republican unitary enterprise Minskenergo, which are to be exempted from taxes in 1-1.5 years after the Belarusian budget would receive $10 mln. But the investor would have to demolish the abovementioned buildings at its own expense.

However, the investor is to keep the buildings at this territory which have historical and cultural significance (a monastery complex, the house of invalids, an alms-house, a household outbuilding) and the Alley of Friendship.

At the same time, the investor would be freed from paying damages caused by seizure of land from land users and demolition of buildings at it, as well as cutting trees and bushes. Besides, the investor will receive certain tax and customs allowances.

In particular, the document orders the Belarusian government to include the investment project “Construction of multifunction complex in Minsk in Kupala Street-Bahdanovich Street- Svislach River area” in the list of investment projects made by the Customs Union Commission for customs privileges for exempting the owner of the project and contractors from import taxes when importing equipment, construction materials and other goods in the framework of the project.

The investor would be granted a right to sell the flats to ownership of Belarusian and foreign residents without limitations.