ArmInfo.The cost and capital expenditures of the Dry Port project exceed $100 million, Charle Malas, project lead and advisor to Economy Minister Vahan Kerobyan, told Civil.net.
According to him, the project will be implemented not at the expense of the state, but at the expense of investors represented by interested foreign companies. Malas in this regard drew attention to the fact that the project is of international interest. At the same time, he indicated that the project operator must have international status and many years of experience in this field. , the adviser said.
He noted that at this stage a tender for a feasibility study of the project has been announced. "In fact, we are at the final stage of choosing a company - an operator," Malas explained. In this regard, Malas noted that the preparation of a feasibility study will take a total of 3-4 months, and the project itself can be launched next year or even at the end of this year. "It depends on how quickly the government of Armenia, for its part, will act," the expert stressed.
It should be noted that a "Dry Port" or an industrial park with a special economic zone is planned to be built on the territory adjacent to the Shirak airport, which will border the airport and the railway, as well as the North-South highway. The "Dry Port" is envisaged as a multifunctional and multimodal hub to serve those local and international companies that require an operational procedure to consolidate customs processes, which can help reduce the latter's operating costs. As previously reported by the Minister of Economy, according to the set goals, the "Dry Port" will provide 3% of Armenia's GDP.