Jordan Times
Thursday, January 8, 2004
Capital invested at free zones rises four per cent to JD512m
AMMAN (Petra) — Actual capital invested at the Kingdom's free zones rose during last year by four per cent reaching JD512.8 million compared to JD494.1 million in 2002, according to figures issued by the Free Zones Corporation (FZC).Figures also revealed that investment contracts also rose by 7.5 per cent to 1,421 contracts from 1,322.
The value of goods taken out of the free zones to the local and foreign markets increased by 55 per cent, reaching JD1,480 million compared to JD952.6 million, the FZC indicated.
Goods in transit, accounting for 83 per cent of the total value of the goods that came out of the zones last year , were higher by 97 per cent reaching JD1,227 million compared to JD623 million in 2002.
The volume of goods coming in and out of the free zones increased by 32 per cent reaching 760,000 tonnes in 2003 compared to 574,000 tonnes in 2002, according to the FZC figures .
The volume of transit goods, which represented 75 per cent of the total goods that came out of the zones, also rose by 93 per cent reaching JD273,000 tonnes compared to JD141,000 tonnes.
The number of vehicles coming in and out of free zones surged by 139 per cent reaching 352,000 vehicles compared to 147,000 in 2002.
Out of the total number of vehicles that came out of the zones, 158,000 were in transit compared to 46,000 vehicles in 2002.
Vehicles taken out for the local market dropped by 38 per cent to 18,000 compared to 29,000, the figures indicated.