OSIJEK FREE ZONE SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH ITALIAN COMPANY

OSIJEK, June 20 (Hina) - The Osijek Free Zone administration on Thursday signed a contract with the owner of the Italian company "Antonazzo Garments", Antonio Antonazzo, on the establishment of a textile plant in which 220 workers should be employed by the end of the year. #L# The Italian company is a sub-contractor for "Benetton", the largest customer of the Osijek Free Zone. The company leased a hall of 2,400 square metres, and it will start being transformed on Friday. The first workers will be employed in September, which is a condition for realising benefits in the Free Zone, Osijek-Baranja County, the majority owner of the Free Zone, said in a statement. This is the same agreement as was recently signed with the Osijek Garments company and with another Benetton sub-contractor owned by Giovanni Pietro Fontana, and both contracts are the result of implementing the business policy of Benetton which, for cheaper production and privileges in the Free Zone, is transferring a large part of its business to Croatia, the statement said. (hina) lml sb