HAIKOU, June 7. /TASS/. Income from the main activities of companies in Hainan's 11 key economic development zones in the first quarter of 2021 increased in annual terms by more than 2.3 times, to 204.87 billion yuan ($ 32 billion at the current exchange rate), announced Feng Yan, inspector of the Development and Reform Committee of the Hainan Province.

“These 11 development zones have become the 'main front' for the revitalization of the island's economy,” she said at a press conference. “Operating income of enterprises located there in the first quarter exceeded 204.87 billion yuan, an increase of 133.2% over the same period last year".

As the official clarified, the tax revenues of said companies in January-March amounted to 15 billion yuan (approximately $ 2.34 billion). "This is 40.6% of the total deductions to the provincial budget," she said.

According to Feng Yan, since the beginning of the year, the key zones of Hainan have registered more than 5.3 thousand new commercial organizations, as a result, more than 44.2 thousand enterprises are already based there. The inspector emphasized that among the government's stimulus measures that had the most noticeable impact on the development of strategically important sectors of the province, were a simplified registration program for international ships, duty-free refueling for container ships and other sea carriers, abolishing duties on a wide range of raw materials, organizing efficient sales channels. rare foreign medicines on the domestic market, numerous preferences for innovative enterprises and professional specialists.

Eleven key economic development zones are located in different parts of the island. Their task is to stimulate the growth of such priority areas as innovation and the latest developments, quality public education and medicine, modern services, international logistics, duty free shopping, financial sector, aerospace technology and advanced software. In 2020, the authorities estimated that companies located in these special regions provided about 15% of Hainan's gross regional product and about 35% of the province's tax revenues.