RussNeft Provides Over 40% of Charity Support to the Region
A meeting of Social Partnership Coordination Council under the Government of the Region has been held under the chairmanship of the governor Pavel Ipatov. The agenda included various issues – the results of welfare programs funding on the account of charity and sponsor donations in 2006, the termination of contracts formation with region’s industrial majors, the adoption of welfare priorities for 2007.
At the meting it was pointed out that last year cooperation agreements between the regional government and 23 Millionaires’ Club member – companies. In total, 101.7 million rubles has been allocated to welfare programs and projects in the region.
Major regional donators financing over 40% of the amount are Oil and Gas Company RussNeft and its subsidiary OAO Saratovneftegaz. Under the Cooperation Agreement between RussNeft and the Government of the Saratov Region the oil industry workers perform their welfare projects in all the regions of Sartovneftegaz operation.
Last year 6.5 million rubles was allocated to health care and social assistance institutions. Up-to-date medical equipment was purchased, medical pavilions have been repaired, fire-alarm sounding systems have been installed. 8.3 million rubles has been allocated to educational institutions, including 3.5 million rubles for school minibuses acquisition. Sound-and-light equipment for recreation establishments, musical instruments, furniture and equipment to the amount of 5 million rubles has been purchased.
Oil industry workers also take care of child’s and youth sports. Large-scale interregional sports contests have been funded, sports and game equipment has been purchased, children’s playgrounds have been built, gymnasiums and swimming pools have been repaired. Totally, over 3.5 million rubles has been allocated to the corresponding areas.
Most of these donations are the funds allocated to reconstruction and restoration of cultural and historic property sites. In particular, RussNeft has allocated 15 million rubles to Saratov eastern orthodox cathedrals and monasteries reconstruction. 4 million rubles was allocated to the restoration of the Saint Troitsk cathedral, the oldest in the city, 6 million rubles has been allocated to engineering works at the Saint Nikolay, including new cupola construction, new cathedrals at the villages of Ivanteevka and Stepnoye are being constructed.
In 2007 oil industry workers’ welfare operations in the region will be developed. It should be pointed out that RussNeft and Saratovneftegaz’s priorities in this field come into line with the essential targets of investment into the welfare sphere approved by the Regional Coordination Council, including providing assistance to medical, social, educational, recreational institutions; cultural property sites reconstruction, child and mass sport promotion. There is a constructive cooperation between the authorities and socially responsible oil business. It is the unity of views on the most relevant local problems that prompts optimal resolutions.