Haskovo Municipality offers many logistic advantages for investors. It is located in the central part of Southern Bulgaria, at the crossroads between Europe, the Near and Middle East, which is a good prerequisite for international, commercial and cultural exchange.
The main bus and railway connections to the entry and exit points of Bulgaria pass through its territory, which determines to great extend the successful trade with Greece and Turkey. Near the city pass two key highways – Trakia and Maritsa, and four main transport corridors – No 4, 8, 9, 10.
Haskovo is on its way to turn into a magnet for investors. The municipality works for the establishment of an industrial zone, which will be formed on part of the former Uzundzhovo Airport. Both terrains there – the runways and the airport itself have been transferred to the municipality by the state about one year ago. Representatives of foreign companies are exploring the opportunities to step into the region. Since March 2017 Haskovo Municipality is part of Trakia Economic Area.
Industrial Area – 3,600 Decares on the East-West Crossroads
The site of the future industrial area of Haskovo is a strategic one for the investors by several criteria. The plot is 3,600 decares. It is located about 4 kilometers away from Haskovo, about 8 kilometers away from Dimitrovgrad and 3 km away from Uzundzhovo village. The terrain is plane, with excellent engineering infrastructure. A gas pipelinepassesin close proximity to the property. Only 5 km away is Maritsa highway, as well as a railway line. The plot is 1 kilometer away from road Ruse-Kardzhali,which is part of the trace of transport corridor No 9 and 4 kilometers away of the first-class road Sofia-Svilengrad, part of the trace of Corridor 4.
On the other hand, the terrain is part of an EU border areaat several hundred kilometers of one of the largest airports – Istanbul, and also near the Burgas and Varna sea ports.
The Municipality with Lighter Rules for Companies
The local authorities of Haskovo Municipality have thought about future investors by providing favorable conditions for their work. The local governors approved an Ordinance for Investments Promotion, in which many reliefs for the business were included. Haskovo is one of the few municipalities in the country, which have adopted such an Ordinance. The approved document grants the investors the right to buy land at market prices without participating in tender, as well as many changes by which the bureaucratic burden for investors is decreased.
The workplaces will not only be in the investors` enterprises. It is expected that hundreds of companies will provide logistics,which will additionally open new workplaces for the local people and for people outside the municipality. In the last few years, the unemployment rate in the region has values close to the average for the country, and which varies between 8 and 12%. Attractive conditions for making business: the lowest operational costs in the EU; 10 % corporate tax; the lowest 10% income tax; governmental support for investment projects.Stable and predictable taxation policy and Ordinance for Investments Promotion create good prerequisites for starting business initiatives in the region. Highly qualified workforce, well educated and adaptive at changes, also contributes for their successful development.
In this favorable business environment many enterprises of the machine-building industry are developing their activities. The specialization of the districtcity in producing machines for the food and beverage and the milk-processing industry is preserved.
Five Vocational Secondary Schools Provide Workforce for the Business
Haskovo Municipality has well developed educational infrastructure. The higher education in the municipality is presented by two institutions located in the municipal center – Regional Center for Distance Learning-Haskovo at the University for National and World Economy and Haskovo Branch of the Trakia University – Stara Zagora which is also a successor of the Medical College-Haskovo. 5 vocational secondary schools – for automobile transport, wood processing, light industry, mechanical engineering, agriculture and tourism are functioning on the territory of the municipality.