Opinions & Interviews

GOMEL, 20 May (BelTA) - Belarus is clearly underrated by Western countries as a country with an attractive investment climate, German businessman Torsten Merkel said in an interview with BelTA. The German businessman is attending the Gomel Economic Forum.

This situation is unfair, he said. “From the point of view of a foreign citizen who has been working here for 4 years, I can say that all conditions for doing successful business are in place here,” he said.

Byr Energy Efficiency Generation company, the interests of which the businessman represents in Belarus, has signed four investment contracts with the Gomel Oblast Executive Committee. One of the projects, the construction of a mini-CHPP at Kalinkovichi Dairy Plant, has already been implemented. Both sides are happy; everyone faithfully fulfilled their obligations. The total amount of investments by the company amounted to €34 million. “In the summer we will complete two projects in the field of green energy. They are about building solar power plants in Bragin,” Torsten Merkel said.

Torsten Merkel also said that having worked here for several years he learned the language, so now he does not have problems communicating. "Perhaps there is such a thing as bureaucracy. You need to prepare many reports and other documents. But for me it doesn't matter much. Besides, this does not affect business,” he noted.

The 13th Gomel Economic Forum which opened in the regional capital on 20 May has gathered a record number of participants: almost 300 delegates from 29 countries. Among the participants are official delegations, members of embassies, workers of banking and financial establishments, businessmen. Interest in the forum was shown from highly developed countries such as China, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, and Austria. For the first time, the event in Gomel is attended by representatives of Ireland, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Syria.