“The Simplified Logistics Zone (SLZ) can be a powerful lever to make the Tuscan coast a nationally important logistics platform,” Port Network Authority (PNA) Special Commissioner Davide Gariglio said, speaking at a conference organized by the local Chamber of Commerce in Livorno this morning .
“SLZs are an important opportunity that would allow us to turn our port area into a laboratory for experimentation to attract investments,” continued Gariglio, adding, “to achieve this goal, legislation is not enough, although it is a fundamental starting point.”
According to the Special Commissioner, the ZLS “cannot be just a regulatory framework. It has to be an operational facility that accelerates processes, fostering industrial, manufacturing organizations that connect port, industry, research and employment.”
From this point of view, the SLZ is even more strategic because it represents the unified interface for single authorization applications. “I consider it a great opportunity that these single authorizations also include the state concession ex art.18 of Law 84/94,”stressed Livorno port’s leading figure.
Just as the tariffs introduced by the U.S. Administration are highlighting the importance of customs and benefits related to Simplified Logistics Zones, Mr. Gariglio pointed out how the introduction of a Customs-Free Zone (CFZ) within the SLZ can be a lever to stimulate international trade and the industrial development of an area: “CFZs, especially if integrated into Simplified Logistics Zones, could provide companies with benefits such as VAT and duty exemption on non-Union goods and indefinite storage at no extra cost,” he pointed out.
In a nutshell, according to the North Tyrrhenian PNA’s Special Commissioner, CFZs could become poles of attraction for international traffic and facilities for developing the competitiveness of Italy’s port-logistics system. “I think this is one of our objectives we need to work on,” he concluded.
Translation by Giles Foster