BISHKEK, Dec. 9 (The Conway Bulletin) — Canadian gold miner Centerra Gold said it suspended its regular quarterly dividend issue because the bank accounts of its subsidiary in Kyrgyzstan that operates the Kumtor mine has been frozen.
Scrapping the quarterly $0.04 dividend payout to shareholders breaks with a six-year tradition and highlights tension between the Kyrgyz government and the Toronto-listed mining company. The Kyrgyz government, owns a 27% stake in the company but wants, instead, to own a direct stake in Kumtor.
“In light of the current restrictions relating to funds held at Centerra’s wholly-owned Kyrgyz Republic subsidiary, Kumtor Gold Company, Centerra’s Board at its regularly scheduled board meeting yesterday decided against declaring a third quarter dividend,” the company said in a statement.
“In addition, the Board has decided to suspend future dividends for the time being.”
Kumtor’s bank accounts have been frozen since June because of an unpaid environmental fine. Centerra has said the fine is politically motivated to force it to relinquish more equity in the gold mine. For the past couple of years, Kyrgyzstan has argued that it wants to give up its share in Centerra in exchange for a direct 50% stake in Kumtor.
Kumtor is Centerra’s biggest asset. In 2015 it accounted for 97% of its total revenues. And the gold mine is also vital for the Kyrgyz economy. It is its single biggest industrial asset, making up an estimated 10% of total GDP.
Reuters quoted RBC Capital Markets analyst Stephen Walker who said that for every quarter Centerra fails to pay a dividend, Kyrgyz state-owned Kyrgyzaltyn will lose around $9.5m in revenue – a vital source of funding.
ENDS
>>This story was first published in issue 309 of the Conway Bulletin newspaper