OREANDA-NEWS. In 2012, agricultural holding HarvEast invested over UAH 15 million in social infrastructure of the regions where its assets operate.

The company funded its Million for Raion project, provided financial aid for its unit holders to buy household fuel and performed its obligations under social and economic partnership agreements. In addition, these investments were a part of the Holding's so called social budget.

"In 2012, we nearly quadrupled our social investing to UAH 15m vs UAH 4m in 2011," HarvEast Holding CEO Simon Chernyavsky said. "We have established our priority areas, where our help and investments are most needed. They include supporting and developing social infrastructure in villages and caring about health of rural residents. We will stick to these priorities in 2013 too, focussing on the upgrade and equipment of rural health posts, recovery of water supply systems, repair and improvements of schools, kindergartens and community centres."

HarvEast Holding annually makes a social budget to support and develop social infrastructure in the regions of its operations. Last year this money was used to address a water supply problem in nine villages of Donetsk Oblast, assist in development of gas distribution networks in Petrovskoye (Starobeshevo Raion, Donetsk Oblast) and Sinitsa (Khristinovka Raion, Cherkassy Oblast), and make current repairs in schools, kindergartens and community centres. In particular, the company helped villages to install new plastic windows in four kindergartens and five schools, restore street lighting in 18 settlements, remove snow from roads, organise a trash pickup and host Village Days in all village councils.

As part of Million for Raion initiative, HarvEast allocated UAH 5m to address the most pressing issues in five raions in Donetsk Oblast where most of the company' assets are located. In Starobeshevo Raion, the project repaired community centres in Styla, Pridorozhnoye and Petrovskoye villages, replaced roofing in a Solntsevo kindergarten, installed plastic windows in a Maryanovka kindergarten, and made an overhaul of artesian wells in Novoyekaterinovka and Vasilyevka. In Telmanovo Raion, the Holding renewed street lighting in Svobodnoye, Dersanovo, Mikhaylovka, Kuznetsovo-Mikhaylovka, Grekovo-Aleksandrovka and Lukovo villages, repaired water supply system in Chermalyk, installed plastic windows in a Bakhchevik kindergarten and replaced an elevator in the raion hospital. In Novoazovsk Raion, the funds were allocated to overhaul a water supply system and install plastic windows in a Primorskoye school. In Pershotravnevy Raion, HarvEast Holding funded construction of a mini football pitch, a repair of an outpatient clinic and first-aid station in Yalta settlement, a repair of water supply system in Radianska Ukraina and of roofing in a Kamyshevatoye kindergarten. In Volodarskoye Raion, the project saw an overhaul of the water supply systems in Kremenevka and Shevchenko and a repair of the medical department in Volodarskoye Raion Hospital.

HarvEast Holding provided financial aid to its unit holders to enhance their social protection. Altogether, 3,746 people received over UAH 4m to buy household fuel.

The company channelled another UAH 2.3m to perform its obligations under social and economic partnership agreements made between HarvEast Holding and public administrations of Novoazovsk and Telmanovo Raions.

In cooperation with Rinat Akhmetov's Foundation for Development of Ukraine the company arranged a free X-ray inspection for residents of Volodarskoye, Pershotravnevy and Telmanovo raions, Donetsk Oblast.