EBRD gave Kazakhmys (Kazakhstan) $20 m for ecological project

/Almaty bureau REUTERS, December 23, 02/ - European bank of reconstruction and development (EBRD) has given Kazakhstan copper monopolist - corporation Kazakhmys - five-year credit for $20 m for realization of the program of ecological environment improvement in compliance with international standards, informed the bank. "The means will help corporation Kazakhmys to realize the program on improvement of ecological environment at Balkhashskiy copper-smelting plant in order to achieve ecological standards of the World bank/EU", - says the bank's message. "Means... of the bank's first industrial loan to domestic Kazakhstan company will also be used for the new technology, which promote to efficient neutralization of sulfurous anhydride ". EBRD also informed that a total in Kazakhstan, which is leading according to the volume of the bank's projects in Central Asia, there have been signed projects for EUR267.40 m. Corporation sulfurous anhydride, which is one of ten largest world copper producers, intends in 2002 to increase refined copper production to 430,000 tons from 418,400 tons one year earlier. The company's assets, which's 24.65% of shares are to be sold by the Government at the stock exchange on December 27, as of October 1 of 2002 were equal to KZT155,786.562 m (about $1 bn), shareholders' equity - KZT118,937.621 m. Shareholders of the company, which's headquarters is in Zheskazgan in the central part of Kazakhstan, are, besides the state, South-Korean corporation Samsung, which possesses together with affiliated company 42.55% of shares, Kazakhmys's broker Future Capital (10.00%) and ABN AMRO Bank Kazakhstan (9.51%). Other shareholders possess 13.29% of shares. [2002-12-23]