BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

14/08/2007

South Africa: Lyons to Build Hi-Tech Office Park in Belarus

Johannesburg

LYONS Financial Solutions, a South African property investor, and other companies have won a R4bn contract to build an office park for software and scientific businesses in Belarus.

The High Tech Park in Minsk would include retail and residential buildings and a hotel, the Johannesburg-based company said yesterday.

Lyons and the other companies in the group would provide infrastructure such as the latest telecommunications equipment, fibreoptic networks and satellite connections.

Lyons said the European Union and SA's Trade Development and Co-operation Agreement on such matters as infrastructural development for European countries and SA, had afforded new opportunities for South African development companies.

Lyons said it was considered the main investor and developer with other bids from companies in Turkey, U.S. and Japan.

"This is after two years of negotiation including a presentation in June 2007 that was attended by representatives of state agencies and ministries of Belarus, the head of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Mikhali Myasnikovich, and the South African delegation headed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma," said Lyons.

The company said the High Tech Park would provide a platform for numerous local and international software and scientific companies to invest in a hi-tech cluster with beneficial tax incentives.

Lyons said this would help ensure Belarus met its goals of becoming a substantial technology powerhouse in eastern Europe.

The site is 50ha with additional land available for expansion.

"The land will be contributed by the Belarus government, which will participate in the ownership of the assets and participate in a profit sharing agreement in terms of a private-public partnership agreement," said the company.

Lyons said the overall design concept was in keeping with the IT industry using modern clean lines and providing flexibility, pedestrian comfort and eco-friendly buildings.

The project, which includes a residential component, retail centres, a hotel and a conference centre, would take seven years to complete.

Source:

http://allafrica.com/stories/200708140302.html