Rusal proposes creating unified SEZ on all Siberian territory

KRASNOYARSK. Feb 20 (Interfax) - The creation of a unified special economic zone (SEZ) on its territory with common preferences for each region could become a driver for the development of the Siberian Federal District, the vice president of JSC Rusal Management Elena Bezdenezhnykh said.

"We have 59 SEZs in the country. The only one among them as a territorial unit is the Kaliningrad region. We propose creating the same common economic zone in the Siberian Federal District, making it like in China - the Siberia SEZ. And then consider existing interconnected processes within it, develop production chains and increase the level of processing. Under current conditions [for each individual SEZ], in a single region, city or company, this is impossible," Bezdenezhnykh said at the Siberian Express 2026 scientific and practical conference in Krasnoyarsk.

The SEZ in the Kaliningrad region is an existing special regime covering the entire territory of the region, providing residents with customs preferences, tax benefits and reduced insurance contributions.

Currently, there are several SEZs in Siberia, in individual regions of the district. These include industrial SEZs (Krasnoyarsk Technological Valley, Avangard in Omsk), tourist SEZs (Turquoise Katun in Altai Territory and Gates of Baikal in the Irkutsk region) and innovation SEZs (Tomsk).