The state will provide €14.69 million in subsidies to the Upper Nitra Mines Prievidza (HBP) mining company to facilitate the closure of its coal mines this year, company spokesperson Adriana Sivakova has informed. As she added, the company signed an agreement with the Economy Ministry and the contribution will be paid from the state budget.The subsidy is intended to cover the extraordinary costs related to the closure of coal mines in the Novaky mining area, namely the sixth, seventh and 11th mining fields.
The company has been continuously closing down its mining capacities and surface facilities since the beginning of this year. This follows on from work carried out in the previous periods, which were related to the termination of brown-coal mining in the Cigel mine in 2017 and in the Handlova mine in 2021. "Employees who are laid off for organisational reasons related to the government-ordered decision to reduce mining activities, will get severance payments in line with the Labour Code and with the collective agreement," said Sivakova.
The state aid to facilitate the closure of uncompetitive coal mines was notified and approved by the European Commission in November 2019 in line with the rules of state aid of the European Union. It is intended to cover extraordinary expenses that are not related to the ordinary operation of the mining company.
Source: TASR
