BISHKEK (24.kg) — The staff of the Kumtor Gold Company (KGC) has addressed an open letter to the President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov, Speaker of Parliament Talant Mamytov and Prime Minister Ulukbek Maripov.

Kumtor Employees Letter (PDF)

In Russian.
(Click to download)

The letter states that “the staff is deeply concerned about the latest events concerning the largest company in the republic”. In particular, the company’s employees are “extremely outraged” by the creation of the forthcoming state commission to study the CGK’s activities.

The letter points out that, firstly, such a commission had already been set up in 2013 and that all the reports on its work are available both at the company and from the relevant public bodies.

Secondly, the company representatives believe that government interference in the company’s activities is contrary to the state’s investment protection policy. “The law imposing a ban on inspections of companies by law enforcement agencies was adopted on 11 December 2020. However, various authorities are ignoring this State policy line and do not realise that, given the current realities of the global economic crisis, any additional controls will only aggravate the situation”, the letter states.

Thirdly, the creation of the State Commission is contrary to legislation. “Thus, according to Article 107 of the Law on Parliamentary Rules and Regulations, the formation of a temporary parliamentary committee of enquiry is not allowed four months before the expiry of the Parliament’s mandate, as well as the formation of two or more committees on the same issue”, the letter states.

Finally, KGC employees urge the country’s leaders to think first and foremost about the economy. “Today the country needs every investor, both in terms of the economy and the employment of the population. All the statements that are periodically made in Parliament immediately affect the attractiveness of the country for foreign investment, the value of Kyrgyzstan’s participation in the Kumtor project, and, consequently, the income not only of the State but also that of several thousand workers and their families employed in the mine”, the letter says.