Business news

DZERZHINSK DISTRICT, 26 June (BelTA) – The rail transport manufacturer ZAO Stadler Minsk intends to double its output capacity by the end of the year, BelTA learned from the company’s CEO Philipp Brunner.

Stadler Minsk CEO Philipp Brunner said: “At present we make 150 cars per annum. The number will reach 300 cars per annum at the end of the year. The volume of investments in manufacturing this year will depend on multiple factors. It will be approximately $15 million this year and $10 million next year.”

The executive also talked about plans concerning the production and sales of trains. “We will start the full cycle for producing five-car trains for Norway in September. As many as 16 trains will be made before summer 2019. This year we will also start working on double-deck six-car trains for Hungary. There are plans to ship a total of 40 cars. It is quite a large order, which will keep the enterprise busy for the next five years. We are nearly done making trams for Saint Petersburg. We will ship another 14 trams to this Russian city by the end of the year. We will start shipping trams to Bolivia in Q2 2019,” said Philipp Brunner.

A roundtable session is taking place at ZAO Stadler Minsk to discuss international legal practice of cooperation with foreign investors and opportunities for improving the investment appeal of the Republic of Belarus. Philipp Brunner took part in the meeting. He said: “We are glad to work here. The development of the enterprise is beyond our expectations. There were difficulties in 2015-2016 but we did our best. Next year the enterprise will employ nearly 1,000 workers. We intend to develop the enterprise later on.”

Participants of the roundtable session discussed examples of successful investments in the Belarusian economy. Proposals are being worked out on improving the country’s investment appeal on the international scale and improving the legislation on foreign economic activities. Taking part in the roundtable session are representatives of the Belarusian Economy Ministry, the Industry Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the State Property Committee, the private sector, and individual companies.

The mechanical engineering enterprise ZAO Stadler Minsk is part of the Swiss company Stadler. The enterprise makes wide-gauge railway transport products for CIS countries. The company develops, designs, and makes rolling stock for urban, suburban, and regional transportation, rolling stock for cog railroads, for interregional and intercity transportation. Stadler Minsk occupies nearly 190,000m2, including 35,000m2 of production facilities in Fanipol, Dzerzhinsk District, Minsk Oblast.