西部开发:开创边贸易区引资新局面

<正> 自90年代初沿边全面开放、边境贸易蓬勃发展以来,我国边境地区逐步形成发展起来了边境贸易区。边境贸易区作为一种特殊关税区,经过多年的探索调整,进入到平稳运营、趋向规范管理的阶段。随着西部大开发战略的展开,边境贸易区进入扩大向西开放、引进外资的新阶段。 从边民互市扩展到全方位对外开放 1983年,国家正式发布边境小额贸易管理法规,规定边境城镇企业、居民之间进行的小额贸易在双方商定的边境口岸和贸易点进行。90年代初,原苏联解体,我国实行沿边开放、鼓励边贸的政策,边境贸易爆发性兴起。国家对边境贸易实行税收减半等优惠政策,边境地方政府采取灵活政策,边贸经营迅速扩大。经营者由边境地区企业和个体经营者扩

Border Trade Zone Invigorated by Developing the West

The strategy of developing the west gives new growing impetus to the border trade zones. A new tide of foreign capital influx is just in the way as new explorations of the management mechanism and policy adjustment are being made by the border trade zones.The consecutive development of border trade zone is impeded by the deadlock on issues of the zone limits and limits of authority within the zone. A border trade zone is bound to be effective 20 km within the borderline. Due to the restrictions on factors of border defense and geography and the sparse residents, towns and cities capable of carrying out border trade are mostly 100 km away from the port. Border trade is cannot be carried out if strictly abiding by the rules. The trading category is originally limited to local products or those produced and utilized by the very locality and only by means of barter trade. This restriction has been loosened in operation and the actual large-scale wholesale trade has gained rewarding scale benefit. Border trade policy franchises the residents and enterprises in the category of the prescribed limit business rights of border trade and expels the rights of other operators without permits. The business management in a restrictive environment is much less convenient for the operators coming from other places without a regular identity. Some of the flexible measures in actual border trade have played a role of adjustment in line with the real circumstances so as to facilitate development of the trade itself. However the local administrative body scarcely has any rights of rational adjustment.Years ago some overseas investors planned to plunge abundant capital into the Korgas border trade zone in Xinjiang to construct a trans-border commercial town. The project aborted as businesses from outside had no right to operation of border trade according to stipulation, could not enjoy preferential policies and had no guarantee of the investment management rights .New adjustment has been made in the management methods and policies of border trade zone to be more open, and more flexible in yielding border trade advantages and in the direction of attracting more foreign capital along with the big-scale development of the west. First, some border cities or major cities are granted the management rights of second-grade ports. This is certainly a breakthrough from the regulation that border trade zone can only be set up along the border line. Cities a bit far away from the border can also set up their border trade zones within the cities and enjoy similar Customs privileges, as in border ports so as to facilitate the development of border trade. Secondly, border trade operational rights are granted to investors at home and abroad who put in large-scale investment in border cities or major cities. This move will enhance the interest and confidence of foreign investors who actively participate in border trade artd expect much of its future. In 2000, a Hong Kong investor signed a contract with in Kashi City Xinjiang which has the management right of a second-grade port for building an 860-million-yuan trade town in the city. This is the largest foreign-invested project in Xinjiang, introduced on Xinjiang's own initiative. Foreign investors who invest in large scale can register locally and obtain foreign trade management rights same as local business operators. The investment profit can thus be secured with equal preferential treatment. Thirdly, cities with management rights of second-grade ports shall carry out similar supervision over the trade zones conducted by the investors as over the border trade zones. Customs, security inspection and such other organizations are set up to practise the customs procedures upon commodities purchased, within the trade zone. This will enable border trade in these cities to be as convenient as in a border port, and receive more perfect and efficient supervision service. Border trade zones set up in Urumqi,Yili, Kashi, Changji and other cities have great attraction for investors and tourists from Central Asian cou