On September 1, 2020, Kumtor Gold Company (Kumtor) transferred 78,468,300 soms (an equivalent of US $1 million, according to the official National Bank exchange rate as of September 1, 2020) to the account of the Health Ministry of the Kyrgyz Republic.
«By so doing, Kumtor, being aware of the importance of steps now being taken in fighting COVID-19 and following its commitment to the principles of socially responsible business, has contributed funds to be used by the Health Ministry of the Kyrgyz Republic for making repairs to health care institutions and providing them with medical equipment,» office of the company informed.
«Hopefully, the US $1 million transferred by Kumtor Company will be our significant contribution not only to fighting COVID-19 but also to the improvement of the national health care system in general,» the President of Kumtor Gold Company, Deon Badenhorst, stressed.
In addition to this, during the challenging times of the coronavirus pandemic, Kumtor has regularly provided aid to Kyrgyzstan.
Thus, in March 2020, Kumtor Gold Company contributed US $100,000 in aid which was used for providing necessary medicines to health care institutions and Issyk-Kul population involved in anti-COVID-19 measures across the province.
The Issyk-Kul Development Fund has contributed 12 million soms for the prevention of the coronavirus epidemic in Issyk-Kul province. The said Fund is formed out of Kumtor Gold Company’s contributions made from its 1 percent annual gross revenue.
In July, 2020, during the COVID-19 peak in Kyrgyzstan, Kumtor purchased 90 oxygen concentrators later contributed to the health care institutions of Jety-Oguz and Ton districts as well as to those of the city of Balykchi Issyk-Kul province. The distribution was made as per the availability of beds in those institutions.
