BISHKEK/SEPT. 17 2021 (The Bulletin) — — The London Bullion Market Association, effectively the world’s gold market ombudsman, suspended the membership of Kyrgyzstan’s Kyrgyzaltyn after it failed a fraud review of its business.

Kyrgyzaltyn is Kyrgyzstan’s state-run gold dealer and its suspension will irritate the Kyrgyz government which relies on gold exports to generate around 9% of its GDP. In May it expropriated the country’s biggest gold mine, Kumtor, from its Canadian owners, Centerra Gold.

In a short statement, the London Bullion Market Association said: “Kyrgyzaltyn JSC has been suspended from the LBMA Good Delivery List for failing to meet the requirements of the Responsible Sourcing Programme. All production from the refinery will no longer be accepted as Good Delivery from this date.”

In June, the London Bullion Market Association said that it had begun a review into Kyrgyzaltyn “in response to issues concerning delivery and the potential for fraud.”

Exclusion from the London Bullion Market Association’s Good Delivery list means that Kyrgyzaltyn will be shunned by the world’s main banks and gold dealers.

Neither the details of London Bullion Market Association’s investigation into Kyrgyzaltyn nor why it had been suspended have been disclosed, although media said that US financial company StoneX Group had accused it of failing to deliver half a tonne of gold. Kyrgyz officials have been quick to blame Centerra Gold, which owned Kumtor from 1997, for their problems.

The Kyrgyz security services have accused Centerra Gold officials and former PMs of corruption.
Responding to the suspension of Kyrgyzaltyn by the London Bullion Market Association, Kyrgyz economy minister Akylbek Japarov said that it would still be able to sell gold to China, India and the Middle East.

“I would like to note that the cancellation is temporary, that is, it can be restored soon,” he said. “Noone expected the Canadians to apologise for all the harm they caused the people of Kyrgyzstan, reimbursing all losses.”

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— This story was published in issue 501 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Sept. 23 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

SEPT. 15 2021 (The Bulletin) — The New York bankruptcy court turned down a case by the Toronto-based Centerra Gold that the Kyrgyz government should pay $1m sanctions for every day since it expropriated the Kumtor gold mine. The judge said that Kyrgyzstan hadn’t yet broken the rules of Kumtor’s Chapter 11 case. The Kyrgyz government expropriated the mine in May.

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— This story was published in issue 500 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Sept. 16 2021

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AUG. 26 2021 (The Bulletin) — Canada’s Centerra Gold filed a bankruptcy motion in the US demanding a fee of $1m per day since the Kyrgyz government expropriated the Kumtor gold mine at the end of May. The Kyrgyz government has said that it has gathered enough evidence against Centerra Gold to prosecute it for corruption and environmental damage. Centerra Gold denies any wrongdoing.

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— This story was published in issue 498 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on AUG. 31 2021

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AUG. 11 2021 (The Bulletin) — Kyrgyzstan’s security service said that it had pulled together enough evidence to push ahead with a corruption prosecution against the privatisation of the Kumtor gold mine in 1993. The Kyrgyz government expropriated the mine in May because of what it described as environmental failings. Centerra Gold, which owns the Kumtor gold mine, has disputed the expropriation and said it is launching arbitration.

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— This story was published in issue 496 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on AUG. 17  2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

AUG. 3 2021 (The Bulletin) — The Kyrgyz authorities said that Askar Akayev, the country’s first post-Soviet president, had flown to Bishkek for the first time since fleeing into exile in Moscow after a revolution in 2005 to answer questions over the privatisation of the Kumtor gold mine. It was unclear whether Mr Akayev faced the threat of arrest and had been forced to return to Bishkek. The Kyrgyz government expropriated the Kumtor gold mine this year from its Canadian owners, Centerra Gold.

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— This story was published in issue 495 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Aug. 9 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

BISHKEK/JULY 28 2021 (The Bulletin) — — Citing Kyrgyzstan’s worsening economic outlook, economy minister Akylbek Japarov said that he wanted emergency powers for three months that would bypass Parliament and allow the government to raise extra cash for its budget by giving it more rights to fine companies and more oversight over customs and licensing regulations.

Observers, though, said that the proposals would damage Kyrgyzstan’s already tarnished repuation as a place to do business, – dented by rising unemployment linked to the pandemic, a coup last year and the expropriation of the Kumtor gold mine from its Canadian owners.

Mr Japarov, who led an investigation into environmental damage at Kumtor in May that triggered a $3.1b fine and the expropriation of the mine, said that the emergency powers were needed to give the government more flexibility.

“We will be able to take preventive measures to improve the economic situation before people become discontent and start to protest,” he said.

“We suggest that in special cases decisions can be made with subsequent changes and additions and that 10% additions can be added to the revenue and expenditure side of the
budget.”

Commenting on the proposed emergency budget laws, Robin Ord Smith, Kyrgyzstan’s Business
Ombudsman, said that the laws were being rushed through without proper scrutiny.

“Our initial assessment of this draft legislation identifies some potential issues that could have a
negative impact on business entities and economic recovery,” he said.

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— This story was published in issue 494 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on July 29 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021

JULY 27 2021 (The Bulletin) — Charaart Gold CEO Artem Volynets said that despite the expropriation of the Kumtor gold mine by the Kyrgyz government from Toronto-registered Centerra Gold, funding for its own project in Kyrgyzstan was moving along swiftly. In June, Chaarat Gold said that media publicity over the expropriation of Kumtor had damaged fundraising for its Tulkubash gold deposit. Charaat Gold said that it expected first gold to be produced in H2 2023, as planned.

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— This story was published in issue 494 of the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin, on Jul7 29 2021

— Copyright the Central Asia & South Caucasus Bulletin 2021