Major News

RAKIA GEORGIA FIZ LLC has established the FIRST free industrial zone in the Caucasus region at Poti in Georgia. The company was created in June 2008 by RAK Investment Authority (RAKIA), a government of Ras Al Khaimah, U.A.E. nodal agency. RAKIA GEORGIA FIZ is 100% subsidiary of RAKIA.

Rakia Georgia project - Poti FIZ, covering the territory of 300 hectares, is situated on historic Silk Road between East & West. With the investment of more than 400 million USD including the investment in the Poti Sea Port, the company will have world class state of art infrastructure, modern warehousing complex, container storage areas, Business Centers, etc.

Rakia Georgia invites manufacturing, trade, services & consulting, logistics companies in mainly all business sectors and industries to start-up their operation in Poti FIZ. Poti FIZ provides the same level of suitability for the companies involved in High Tech Industry as for the traditional ones, like Agro Business. We primarily want to attract the foreign companies that operate in the South Eastern Europe and CIS region (or plan to operate). The main target is the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Having the role of the logistical and manufacturing hub, Poti FIZ is very cost effective option for the companies who want to expand in the new markets of the Caucasus and Central Asia and have easy access to the EU countries.

Rakia Georgia would like to attract the companies that are interested not only in doing business in Georgia, but do international trade and manufacturing, concentrate on exports. This fact is especially getting very topical during the current financial crisis, when the companies are seeking for diversification of their selling markets, on the one hand, and search for the ways to the cost effective supply chain restructuring, on the other.

The company also expects enterprises from the FMCG & FMCD industries, IT, BPO Services to be represented at the Free Zone. Due to low cost of energy power intensive industries like steel manufacturers have also shown keen interest to be in this Free-zone.

Rakia Georgia FIZ offers all the benefits available in other free zones of the region and some of the additional benefits specific to Poti Free Zone:

1.      Low Cost of leased land 2.      100% foreign ownership in free zone3.      100% capital and profit repatriation4.      Zero tax on profits in the Free-zone for foreign companies5.      100% duty free Import and export of raw materials and finished goods6.      Right to source raw material from anywhere in the world 7.      Availability of power and water with one stop window for all your requirements8.      Power supply at competitive rates (due to hydro-electric power generation)9.      Strategic location right on the middle of ancient Silk Road10.  Being adjacent to the largest port of the Black Sea – Poti Sea Port  

The services to be provided within the Free-zone include the primary and secondary roads giving complete access to all industrial plots with-in the project area, street lightening ,water supply, fire fighting system, sewerage network, storm-water drainage system, electric supply and telecommunication system and irrigation network for green-zone areas. The design criteria for each segment of development of infrastructure will be as per the international specifications to ensure that the FIZ facilities are comparable to the best in the world.

The initial steps of development, such as soil-testing, topology, site cleaning and fencing, etc. are currently underway. The first phase of the Free Zone is expected to be completed by the end of 2009, though the marketing of the facilities has already started. The second phase of the project will include development of warehousing complex, container storage areas, Distri - Park, Offshore Financial Facilities, Business Centers, etc. 

The project has full and complete support of the Government of Georgia and therefore a very investor friendly free-zone regulation is in place. The government is open to suggestions from the investors to amend the laws for the benefit of all stakeholders.

For the initial stage leasing rates in the Poti F.I.Z are very competitive and attractive being one of the lowest in the Black Sea region. Lease cost for 1sq.m starts from USD 6 per year for manufacturing companies.  Hence the early investors stand to gain a lot on long term basis.  The rental is fixed for first ten years. The price for different type of licenses (manufacturing, trade, commercial, logistics, service/consulting, contracting) starts from only USD 2500 per year – the lowest in the EU. 

Rakia Georgia FIZ LLC is happy to welcome the companies to Poti, Georgia to experience the excellent conditions for manufacturing & commerce.

For more information please contact Mrs. Tatia Dgebuadze, Marketing Executive at t.dgebuadze@rakiageorgia-freezone.com.