13:05, 10 ноября 2021, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Tatyana KUDRYAVTSEVA
«Regarding Kumtor, I immediately state the fact that no one has seized anyone’s property,» the Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Akylbek Japarov said in an interview with Kommersant.
According to him, Kyrgyzstan, being the largest shareholder of Centerra, owned 33 percent, and now 26 percent of its shares.
«It’s foolish to seize something from yourself, do you understand? We simply believe that management, instead of protecting the interests of shareholders, has begun to defend its personal interests. There was no fair distribution of flows — taxes, dividends and profits. I can say that over 20 years that Centerra has been working here, they have taken out 410 tons of gold worth $11.4 billion, and we do not have a single gram of gold left. The company shows a net profit of $2.9 billion, and the Kyrgyz side, the largest shareholder, was paid only $74 million in dividends. I think the figures speak for themselves,» Akylbek Japarov said.
«Instead of protecting the environment according to their own business plan, there were major violations in order to save money. Instead of dumping the waste rock 3.5-4 kilometers down into the valley, they began laying all these dumps on the glaciers. We are the only country in the world where this happens. We cannot put up with this further. Therefore, we say to all investors, in case of compliance with the environment and our laws — please, make a profit, take out — we have no restrictions on profit,» he concluded.