Aydar Metshin: ‘We managed to make progress in several environmental issues’

Nizhnekamsk citizens’ salaries grow by 4,6%

Aydar Metshin voiced key results in 2019 in Nizhnekamsk District at the final session. In his report, the mayor tried to demonstrate all spheres of Nizhnekamsk citizens’ lives. According to him, the average salary in Nizhnekamsk Municipal District grew by 4,6% and totalled 42,300 rubles. Employees of backbone enterprises turned out to have the highest salaries.

“People earn 28,000 rubles on average in small and medium-sized enterprises of the city where 15,000 Nizhnekamsk citizens work; 29,500 people work in the backbone enterprises, the average salary reaches 58,000 rubles; the average salary in agriculture in 2019 was 26,900 rubles. The salary of 5,500 workers in the public sphere, in this important social sphere, was 31,600 rubles,” Aydar Metshin said.

Metshin called Nizhnekamsk backbone and major budget revenue-generating enterprises the economic foundation of the district. In 2019, there were sold 18,5% of industrial products of the Republic of Tatarstan for 532,800 billion rubles. The amount of investments totalled more than 60 billion rubles. Nizhnekamsk District was first and second in a rating of Tatarstan municipalities in investment attraction.

“Small and medium-sized enterprises are the foundation for growth of the middle class of our territory. Diversification is a very important quality of small businesses for Nizhnekamsk where big feedstock-based industrial enterprises are located. This work, considering that we obtained status as Priority Social and Economic Development Area, is one of the key areas of strategic development of the territory for us. We see a rise in the number of companies in medium and small businesses,” he said.

Aydar Metshin also talked about successes in agriculture: a good milk yield, a good harvest of potato, modernisation of a vegetable cluster.

Chairman of the Tatarstan State Council Farid Mukhametshin, in turn, noted that Tatarstan’s well-being particularly depended on the economy of Nizhnekamsk District.

“Your contribution to the collection of successes of the republic is considerable, as usual. It is an industrial centre, an economy with several vectors, huge enterprises with a big number of workers, and the success of the Republic of Tatarstan depends on the atmosphere here, how entrepreneurial possibilities are performed entities. We should thank the generation that gave us such industrial infrastructure, agriculture, aviation engineering, we keep producing oil and can increase production volumes, we have such developed modern petrochemistry.”

“We feel its result, so to speak”

Ecology became one of the key themes of the session. Aydar Metshin said that in 2019 it became possible to make progress in several issues in this area. A fully-fledged office of Russia’s environmental watchdog Rosprirodnadzor was created in Nizhnekamsk, the work to establish a united sanitary and protection zone was completed. Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC made a significant contribution to improving the environment.

“A big environmental project of Nizhnekamskneftekhim JSC ended in 2019 — the reconstruction of biological treatment facilities, and we feel its result, so to speak, or, more precisely, the absence of smells from the biological treatment facilities,” the city’s mayor stressed.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim allocates 3bn rubles to modernise BTF

Nizhnekamskneftekhim PJSC has owned biological treatment facilities (BTF) where industrial and urban sewage is treated for over 50 years. New plants appeared over half a century, the city’s population has increased, the load on the BTF went up many times. Their big reconstruction became a vital project for the whole region and republic in general. There were two stages since 2015. The mechanical domestic sewage treatment unit was modernised first, the mechanical industrial sewage treatment was modernised later.

All facilities that were reconstructed became hermetic. The latest gas treatment units — biofilters — were installed. Special microorganisms inhabiting block boxes of the filters operate around the clock by neutralising unpleasant smells. The construction of a new tank about 15 kilometres long for stormwater sewage ended. It will increase the capacity of the sewage transportation system to the treatment facilities, which will also reduce the load on the environment.

Socially oriented business

In his report, Aydar Metshin talked about successes achieved in health care.

“Last year both the children and adults’ network received equipment, the car fleet of the Ambulance Station was renewed. With TAIF Group of Companies’ support in 2019, a modern burns unit opened in Nizhnekamsk Central Regional Hospital. Necessary equipment for the operating theatre of the burns unit was purchased by Tatneft company. Within the development of medical assistance system in Geriatrics aimed to help older people, 12 geriatric beds opened, two specialised rooms were arranged,” Metshin said.

It should be reminded that the opening of the burns unit took place in summer of 2019. The project was fully financed with Nizhnekamskneftekhim’s money. The petrochemists modernised a polyclinic in the industrial zone too. A major repair was made, and new up-to-date medical equipment was purchased. Nowadays 16,000 Nizhnekamskneftekhim and TAIF GC workers as well as 6,000 employees of other subsidiaries are provided with medical care in this polyclinic.

Nizhnekamskneftekhim has allocated 522 million rubles to improve the city and district in the last five years. Municipal, internal and industrial roads were repaired with this money, the petrochemists also financed the reconstruction of the Kama River’s embankment and improvement of the square named after Nikolay Lemayev. A pedestrian zone of Neftekhim Arena ice palace was beautified at the company’s expense, the People’s Culture House was repaired and given to the city with no charge. A lot of money is invested to reconstruct Neftekhimik stadium.

Over 15,000 people work at Nizhnekamskneftekhim today. Every worker’s salary has risen since 1 February. It has changed individually, and the rise will be from 5% to 15%. The administration and shareholders of the company are convinced that despite the complicated economic situation in the global market, stiffer competition, the decline in the world car production, which affected the rates of natural and synthetic rubber, plastics, growth of prices for feedstock and tariffs on energy resources, it is necessary to maintain the workers’ high quality of life. For instance, the salaries augmented by 13% in 2019 compared to 2018 retaining of all types of increases, extra payments, rewards and other incentives.

One in five Nizhnekamsk citizens does sport

Speaking about social policy, Aydar Metshin paid attention to accomplishments in sport and physical culture. One in five out of Nizhnekamsk citizens regularly does sport. Necessary conditions are created for this purpose in the city and district. The mayor of the city said that Nizhnekamsk needed a 50-metre swimming pool adding that he hoped for financial help from the officials of the republic and TAIF GC.

By the way, most of the citizens of Nizhnekamsk did sport in sports venues of Nizhnekamskneftekhim. The petrochemists built and maintain Neftekhimik sports facility, two ice palaces (with a 6,000 and 2,000 seating capacity), Friendship sports and health improvement facility, Fakel gym, Almash training base, The Olympian sports and health improvement camp, a shooting range. All citizens use the services of sports venues. About 25,000 spectators go to watch matches of football and ice hockey teams every month.

The company deals with charitable work when organising and hosting different international tournaments, republican and urban competitions. Nizhnekamskneftekhim supports Neftekhimik football and hockey clubs. It has been the main sponsor of Rubin football club since 2016.

Also, last year the company rendered financial support to the Federation of Practical Shooting Regional Sports Public Organisation to expand the shooting range to make the sport popular. Great Field Post Office Regional Military and Patriotic Public Organisation in the Republic of Tatarstan allocated money to host the 2^nd Republican Judo Tournament among ladies and men in memory of Hero of the Soviet Union, Colonel of Border Troops N. Kaymanov.

It was also said about the implementation of a republican programme aimed at repairing territories next to houses, stairwells at the final session. It should be reminded that 10 modern playgrounds for children appeared last year with the support of deputies of the republic’s State Council Gulnara Muzipova, Ruslan Gizzatullin and Azat Bikmurzin.

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