Opinions & Interviews

MINSK, 7 September (BelTA) – The arrival of Anytime carsharing service in Minsk confirms the interest of Italian investors in Belarus, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, co-chairman of the Belarusian-Italian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation Evgeny Shestakov said as he spoke at a ceremony to launch the leading Eastern European carsharing service in Minsk on 7 September, BelTA informs.

The deputy minister emphasized the importance of actively developing economic and investment contacts. “It is great that the investors who came to Belarus some 9-10 years ago, when I was Belarus’ ambassador to Italy, continue expanding their activity in our country,” he said. Evgeny Shestakov named Mikro Kapital Group which is the organizer of the Anytime service. It is headed by famous Italian financial expert and Belarus’ Honorary Consul to Naples Vincenzo Trani. The company is represented in Belarus by the foreign limited company Mikro Leasing founded in 2009. Its offices have been opened in seven Belarusian cities. The total sum of Italian investments made up $87 million over the period.

Vincenzo Trani said that carsharing is very popular worldwide. This is a type of short-term car rental with a minute or hourly payment, usually used for short city trips.

Currently, 55 cars (5 of which are Geely) are available to customers in Minsk. Gennady Svidersky, First Deputy Industry Minister, Acting Head of the BelGee Plant, stressed the importance of Belarusian cars being used in the service. By late Q1 2019, there will be 80 Geely cars in the service park. Within two years the number of cars of all brands in the Minsk carsharing fleet will reach 500.

According to Minsk Mayor, Chairman of the Board of the Minsk European Games Organizing Committee (MEGOC) Andrei Shorets, the arrival of the new transport service is of great importance taking into account the forthcoming 2^nd European Games.

The Italian investor promises to invest up to $20 million within the next five years on the carsharing service in Belarus.