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Nornickel to build up investments in Trans-Baikal welfare programs by 30% over 6 years

The company will increase funding to $32 million in 2021-2026

TASS, November 26. The Norilsk Nickel Company (Nornickel) will increase funding of welfare programs and projects in the Trans-Baikal Region from 1.85 billion rubles ($25 million) to 2.4 billion rubles ($32 million) in 2021-2026, the company’s press service said on Wednesday.

The region’s Governor Alexander Osipov and Nornickel’s President Vladimir Potanin signed two agreements: the first agreement is on the strategy of cooperation between the region and the company, and the second agreement outlines the region’s support for the company’s investment plans and Nornickel’s bigger funding of the social sphere.

"The cooperation’s key directions are education, sciences, healthcare, physical activities and sports, arts, social support and the environment protection," the company said. "Nornickel will build up its funding of these programs - over six years it will grow from 1.85 billion to 2.4 billion rubles."

"The most important project is the support of hockey training for kids and teenagers in the Trans-Baikal Region," the company said. "Nornickel will invest in it annually 35 million rubles ($464,000) during 2021-2023."

The governor thanked Potanin for the assistance in coping with the COVID-19 infection and handed to him a Certificate of Honor. In 2020, the company allocated to the region 376.7 million rubles ($50,000) to buy individual protection means, medical equipment, artificial ventilation devices, two ambulance vehicles and two mobile laboratories. In the complicated epidemic situation, the company will allocate additionally 50 million rubles ($662,000).

"The company plans to continue the partnership, to participate actively in the region’s social life," the press service quoted Potanin as saying. "This way, people have a correct expectation that the care will be not incidental, but long-term and systematic."

The region’s governor, in his turn, stressed the implementation of major investment projects favors the economic development as well as "successful social policies."

Nornickel’s key asset in the Trans-Baikal Region is the Bystrinsky plant - the biggest greenfield project in the Russian metallurgical sector. The plant was built within three and a half years and was commissioned in late 2017. The project has attracted investments of 100 billion rubles ($1.3 billion) and offered 2,000 jobs.

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