«Business does not believe that the situation in Kyrgyzstan will stabilize and they will be able to work and earn money. This might not mean that miners will shut down production tomorrow and leave, but they will once again seriously think about securing their investments,» a Russian expert on Central Asia Azhdar Kurtov said, commenting on the situation of foreign investors in Kyrgyzstan.
According to the expert, since the arrival of foreign capital in the mining industry of Kyrgyzstan, «Bishkek decided to shift the responsibility for the welfare of the local population onto the shoulders of businessmen.»
«Concern for employment and infrastructure for Kyrgyzstanis is always commendable. But when the state withdraws from the solution of these issues and delegates its responsibilities to a third party, this leads to sad consequences,» Azhdar Kurtov believes.
The rallies against foreign mining companies in Kyrgyzstan are not just the consequences of the change of government in October 2020, but rather the result of instability and uncertainty of the population about the future.
Azhdar Kurtov
Conclusions that investors can come to, according to the expert, are disappointing for Kyrgyzstan.
«Large companies that have been working for a long time and are budget-forming enterprises in the country will not invest in the development of production and will begin to minimize costs. Another option is that they will not want to take risks and will leave Kyrgyzstan. They will be replaced by businessmen who are willing to take risks and include potential financial losses into their development strategy. We know such investors. They do not pay attention to ecology and build relations with the authorities using gray schemes,» the analyst noted.
If the authorities of Kyrgyzstan do not stop using trusted partners, they will be replaced by those who will cause such damage to the country that Kyrgyzstanis will feel for a very long time.
Azhdar Kurtov
