Law
(215) of
2006, passed by the Libyan
General People's Committe, details the creation of Zwara-Abu-Kemmash Free
Trade Zone. A new government department, known as The Zwara-Abu-Kemmash
Development Zone, was formed to develop the
region as a tourism and investment zone.
Al-Saa'di al-Qaddafi, the chairman of the Zwara-Abu-Kemmash
Development Zone and the son of Mua'mmar al-Qaddafi,
has promised to improve Libya's economic progress
by building the Free Trade Zone in Zwara and bring the country out of its economic
isolation. The area was chosen for the beauty of its beaches - the best in the
whole of Libya - and for its proximity to Tunisia and Europe. During Tunisia's
president Zine al-Abidine's recent visit to Libya,
Tunisia and Libya have agreed to set up a free trade zone between the two countries
including a tourist village on the border.
Please note that the name Zwara is often written
in various forms:
After considering Law (1) of year 1369 W.R.,
and the Libyan commercial law, and the Libyan marine law, and Law (65)
of year 1970, and Law (81) of year 1970, and customs Law (67) of year
1972, and Law (16) of year 1991, and Law (5) of year 1426 M., and Law
(9) of year 1430 M., and Law (3) of year 1369 W.R.,
and Law (7) of year 1372 W.R., and the General
Committee's Decree (14) of year 1374 W.R., and what has been decreed
by the General People's Committee in its second meeting of year 1374
W.R., and after the approval of the General People's Committee during
its 27th meeting of year 1374,
it was decided
:
Article (1)
: Establishing a special area by the name of
(
Zwara-Abu-Kemmash Development Zone
) (which must include the Island of Farwa), with
its location and borders as illustrated in the drawing accompanying this
decree, and with a specified working period of no less than (99) years,
renewable by a decision from the General People's Committee.
Article (2)
: The zone enjoys its own identity and financial
independence, and can legislate within the boundaries of Libyan law.
Article (3)
: The goals of the administrative committee of
the zone include advertising and marketing advanced architectural and
developmental projects; the creation of a tourist and industrial environment;
various investment and commercial activities; and encouraging transit
trade and goods exchange operations according to the needs of the market.
The administration of the zone will also work towards providing banking,
insurance and investment services as well as other services, and towards
employing and developing the technology and the knowledge needed to establish
an advanced foundation which will contribute towards developing commercial
and trade services to support and develop the national economy of the
country.
Article (4)
: The Development Zone will work to establish
the necessary services and structures needed to initiate its operations,
such as general services, housing, health, security, safety, education,
tourism, commerce, industry and culture.
Article (5)
: To achieve its objectives, the Development
Zone is authorised to issue all
the necessary decisions, manage its own administration
and finance, encourage and advertise the creation of the foundations,
companies, banks, factories, services and
provide employment and other activities relating
to the zone. The zone has the right of ownership of the capital and property
needed to to achieve its purposes.
Article (6)
: The Zone will be run by an administration formed
by a decision from The General People's Committee, and this administration
will then run and develop the zone according to the principles laid for
the free zone.
Article (7)
: The administrative committee of the zone will
have complete authority and responsibility to run the entire affairs
of the zone, and supervise and guide all the other working institutions
within the zone, especially:
- laying the general strategy, plans and regulations to regulate the
activities
and the goals of the zone;
- studying the laws and legislation regarding investment and suggesting
improvements;
- laying rules for renting land and property, for granting licenses
and permits for investment and establishing services and industrial
and commercial projects;
- preparing financial estimates needed to study and implement the underlying
environment, building the essential services, the cost of advertising
and marketing until work commences;
- implementing procedures to issue entry, exit and residence permits
according to the needs of the situation;
- agreeing to granting mortgages and investment partnership with other
parties;
- implementing special procedures relating to insurance, social security,
and health amenities to the zone's residents, investors and workers;
- approving contracts and agreements struck with local and foreign
bodies;
- implementing training programs for the zone's workers; undertaking
all that is needed to protect the zone's capital and property and guarantee
the fulfillment of its goals;
- and establishing companies within the zone relating to its activities
and decreeing the necessary regulations and procedure for their activities
according to the law.
The administrative committee is authorised to
proxy the head of the committee with some of these responsibilities,
or to form, from within its current members, a new committee or more
than one committee to see to some of these responsibilities.
Article (8)
: The administrative committee of the zone will
implement the necessary preparations for its own custom, security and
immigration laws, decreed by the General People's Committee.
Article (9)
: The administrative committee shall prepare
an internal policy to illustrate its strategy, working procedures and
meeting agendas.
Article (10)
: The zone, its residents and those who invested
in the zone enjoy all the advantages and privileges decreed in Law (9)
of year 1430 M. regarding the organisation of transit commerce and free
trade zones, and Law (5) of year 1426
M. regarding the promotion to encourage foreign
investment in Libya, and Law (7) of 1372 W.R. regarding tourism.
Article (11)
: It is allowed to use English language as well
as other languages, in addition to Arabic, in all the dealings of the
free trade zone.
Article (12)
: The zone will have a seaport and an airport
which can be utilised nationally and internationally.
Article (13)
: The monetary capital and earnings of the zone
will come from:
- local and foreign investors' money
- the national budgets set aside for the zone
- internal and external mortgages
- income from the zone's operations and activities
- income from investment returns of the zone's capital
- any other incomes resulting from the licensed activities within the
zone.
Article (14)
: Administrative, financial and organisational
protocols and procedures relating to work, motivation and salaries will
be decreed by the General People's Committee
according to proposals submitted by the administrative committee of the
zone.
Article (15)
: This decree (or decision) is effective from
the date of its issue, and all the concerned bodies should implement
it, and be published in the archive.
The General People's Committee
Issued on 19 Sha'ban
09/06/2006
[End of Document]
[Translated by Temehu.com]
