Present Development Status
Established in 1992, Kuytun Development Zone is a component part of the open strategy of the state and that of the autonomous region. Situated close to the downtown of Kuytun City, the development zone covers an area of 10.08 km2, including 1.38 km2 commercial and trade zone, 8.7 km2 industrial zone and 0.77 km2 hi-tech industrial park planned in 1997. Since it was established, under the correct leadership and full support by the Party committees and governments of the Autonomous Region, Ili Autonomous Prefecture and Kuytun City, in a section of Gobi an investment platform has been set up with coordinated infrastructure facilities, favorable policy environment, highly efficient service system, concentrated elements of production and obvious competitive edge. By the end of 2001, totally, 443 enterprises registered in the development zone and with the registered capital of 666 million yuan RMB, including 8 three kinds of foreign-invested enterprises or ventures (joint venture, Sino-foreign cooperative joint venture and exclusively foreign-owned enterprise) with the registered capital of 28.50 million USD, and 3 new and hi-tech enterprises with the registered capita of 44 million yuan RMB. Accumulatively, 190 projects were approved and an investment of 5.5 billion yuan was planned for these projects, of which 153 ones are being built and 1.48 billion yuan has been invested. Gross industrial output value had reached 1.38 billion yuan and tax 96.91 million yuan. The development zone maintains a rapid economic growth and presently its gross industrial output value takes up about 30% the total of Kuytun city.
In 2001, with the implementation of the western development strategy, the development of Kuytun Development Zone was obviously accelerated and the work of investment attraction is going smoothly, with major projects as the most and major and minor ones both attracted. From January to October, 45 enterprises with registered capital of 68.563 million yuan were approved and registered, increased by 18.4% and 15.8% respectively, compared with the corresponding period if the previous year. Construction of 22 projects was started with the total investment of 69.66 million yuan. And 180 million yuan has been invested in fixed assets, an increase of 33% over the previous year. Gross industrial output value reached 370 million yuan, industrial products sales income 261 million yuan and tax 28.90 million yuan, up by 31%, 40.5% and 65% respectively.
Through ten years of development, Kuytun Development Zone has formed a development pattern with industry as the pillar and the integration of industry and trade, and has become an important economic growth point of the general Kuytun community.
Administration System
As the experiment zone for the reform and opening up of Xinjiang, Kuytun Development Zone conducts reform and exploration continually. Guided by the principle of the integration of responsibility and power, streamlining and high efficiency and administration by law, the cooperation zone administration commission set up an administration system in line with the requirements of a market economy.
The administration commission practices a mode of enclosed type management and open operation. As the representatives of the Party committee and government of Kuytun city, the Working Committee and Administration Commission of the Development Zone, respectively on behalf on the the Party committee and government of Kuytun city, lead and conduct management over affairs of the development zone such as Party building, administration, economy and social affairs. In addition, the administration commission established an investment company providing service for attracting businesses and investment. The investment company, administration commission and the working committee are actually the same agency with three names, but three agencies fulfill their due duties.
In accordance with the principle of "small government, big society", the administration commission of the development zone established streamlined and highly efficient management and service agencies under it, such as office, Economic Development Bureau, Financial Administration, Bureau of Land Planning and Construction and Investment Service Center. Vertical administration departments such as industry and commerce bureau, national tax bureau and local tax bureau established sub-bureaus in the development zone. For the development zone the government treasure was established and government budget conducted. Revenue of the development zone is mainly used for the development of infrastructure facilities and attraction of investment and businesses.
The administration commission explored in how to advance efficiency and provide better service. Through deepening reform, streamlining examination and approval procedures and establishing investment service center, and in line with the requirements of "one-station examination and approval, one department collecting fees and comprehensive service", the administration commission provides agency service for new enterprises and investment projects regarding examination and approval, issuing certificates and follow-up service, setting up quality, highly efficient service system convenient for investors.
The administration commission of the development zone reforms personnel system continually so as to meet the requirements of economic development. The system for appointment of posts is practiced for the departments under the administration commission of the development zone, and workers of these departments are directly engaged by the administration commission. The past practice has been changed that cadres were transferred from administrative agencies or state institutions. All workers needed are employed from the society in a public way. Competition mechanism was introduced to practice employer and employee choice and posts are taken through competition. The system of dismissing the last through competition was set up. All personnel are managed through objective and the motivation mechanism was set up whereby the responsibility, right and interests are linked to each other and the pay to worker is made according to his performance.
Investment Environment
Kuytun City is located in northwestern Xinjiang, northern side of Tianshan Mountain and southwest edge of Jungar Basin. 253 km east of it is the city of Urumqi, in the south it neighbors on Dushanzi, the petroleum chemical base of China, to its west lies Usu city. The city of Kuytun is situated in the center of the economic belt along the northern side of Tianshan Mountain and is well known as the "golden triangle" for economic development of Xinjiang. The administrative precinct of the city is 1036 km2 in area, and the city-controlled area is 200 km2, of which 36 km2is built-up area. The total population is 260,000 including a city population of 110,000. 27 ethnic groups live here, such as Han, Kazak and Uygur. Han population takes up 93% the total of the city.
Kuytun boasts a unique geographic advantage and good investment
environment.
Developed transport facilities: No.312 National Highway and No.217 National Highway converge here and the second Asia-Europe railway passes through the city, making the sector of Kuytun reach all border ports of northern Xinjiang and become the "bridgehead" for the opening of Xinjiang. Kuytun Train Station is the first marshalling yard of the second Asia-Europe railway for trains entering from the west, and it has an annual cargo handling capacity of 10 million t. In the train station, 10 transshipping storehouses were built for materials such as grain, cooking oil, cotton and means of production, and there are 11 railway sidings. International trains, Kuytun-Xi'an express train and the Kuy-Urumqi tourist train were successively opened for passengers. The construction and opening of the Urumqi-Kuytun Expressway further strengthen the role of Kuytun as a transport pivot.
Rich resources: Kuytun and the areas around it are very rich in strategic materials of the autonomous region such as petroleum, cotton and tomato. The annual output of cotton here reaches as high as 3 million piculs and here much could be achieved through developing petroleum. In the area, petroleum enterprises, the Corps and Kuytun City work together to develop integrated economy, creating an opportunity for the rational allocation of regional resources.
Convenient communication: Telecommunication Administration of Kuytun City is an inter-province assistant telecommunication administration equipped with world-advanced communication means. Both the largest relaying station of Asia-Europe optical cable in Xinjiang and the junction center station of national broadcast and television network in northern Xinjiang lie here.
Ample supple of energy: existing power supply capability of 240,000Kva. Besides, another thermal power plant has been built in the development zone and put to production. So, the supply of power is ample.
Advanced Infrastructure Facilities: In built-up areas of Kuytun City, there are crisscross roads with smooth surfaces. The forest cover rate has reached 33%, and infrastructure facilities such as water supply and drainage, and heat supply are complete and coordinated. Kuytun Development Zone is situated close to the downtown area of the city. In the 5-km2area developed in the first stage of development infrastructure facilities have all been built.
Preferential Policies: New joint venture, solely invested enterprise and cooperative joint venture established in the development zone by foreign investors and enterprises based in other provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions may enjoy relevant preferential policies formulated by the State Council concerning the western region development and policies formulated by the Xnjiang Uygur Autonomous Region for the invitation of businesses and encouraging foreign investment. In addition, they will be granted preferential policies and measures formulated by Kuytun Development Zone for encouraging investment and promoting cooperation.
Good investment environment and great potential for development indicate charming future of Kuytun Development Zone and make the zone a rapidly developing hot land attracting investment.
Business and Investment Attraction
Kuytun Development Zone has been focusing its efforts on the attraction of business and investment. With respect to the attraction of business and investment, the development zone adheres to the principle of concentrating efforts on big projects while paying appropriate attention to small ones, collect and publicize information on attracting businesses and investment through many channels and in a comprehensive way. As a result, the development zone has established ties with many businessmen and investors home and abroad. Through a few years of development, commerce, trade and service industry develop rapidly, initial success has been achieved in second industry and fresh progress has been made in export-oriented economy and new and hi-tech industry. Besides, the development zone established relations of mutual credit with many businessmen of U.k., U.S., Germany, France, Japan and Switzerland, setting up the brand image of the zone and making it famous.
Objectively speaking, although some achievements were made in the attraction of businesses and investment for the development zone, it still needs to introduce major projects to improve economic performance of the zone and fundamentally promote economic and industrial restructuring of Kuytun City. The administration commission of the development zone is intensifying its efforts to attract businesses and investment. To do so, the administration commission is tracing a few major projects such as Japanese-invested industrial park and making every effort to push forward these projects. The project of Japanese-invested industrial park is an effective carrier for expanding channels of attracting businesses and investment, intensifying efforts to attract businesses and investment and developing export-oriented economy. In building the Japanese-invested industrial park, we are exploring new patterns for tract development by using the attention of Japanese businessmen to the development zone and using Xinjiang Wanli Company as a bridge, and with capital as a link and profit as the purpose. By building the Japanese-invested industrial park, the administration commission of the development zone, Chinese and Japanese businessmen jointly established development company so as to cultivate an investment environment with high standards but low threshold. Thus, with overseas market as the orientation, we shall develop new and hi-tech industry to cultivate the economic growth point of the zone with most vitality by using foreign capital, especially Japanese capital.
Development Prospect
Through nine years of development, Kuytun Development Zone has achieved a basis for further development and has had basic conditions for large-scale development by leaps and bounds. The implementation of the western development strategy, the priority of the autonomous region for the development of the economic belt along the northern side of Tianshan Mountain and the arrangement of Ili Prefecture for its economic development bring unprecedented opportunity of development for Kuytun Development Zone. Located in the "golden triangle" for economic development of Xinjiang, Kuytun City occupies a unique competitive edge and is an important area for economic development of northern Xinjiang. Seizing the opportunity of the western development, relying on its geographic advantage and utilizing the local drive to develop integrated economy, Kuytun Development Zone will catch opportunities, blaze new trails and speed up its development. Thus, the development zone will build a regional platform for investment with good environment, making positive contributions to regional sustainable development and the development of Xinjiang.
|