Information policy and transparency

Sovcomflot takes a responsible approach, ensuring that information is disclosed in a timely and accurate manner and adhering to the principles of promptness, accessibility and objectivity.

In 2016 the PAO Sovcomflot Board of Directors approved the Regulations on Information Policy pursuing the following main goals:

  • protecting the rights and legitimate interests of the Company’ shareholders and potential investors, professional participants in the securities market, government authorities and other stakeholders in obtaining timely and accurate information about the Company, which is essential for making balanced investment and management decisions;
  • enhancing the Company’s information transparency;
  • improving the level of trust in relations between the Company and its shareholders and stakeholders;
  • complying with the requirements of international and Russian legislation concerning mandatory disclosure of information by a joint-stock company.

Information subject to mandatory disclosure according to regulatory requirements

In 2020 the Company’s Executive Board approved the Information Disclosure Regulations of the Company taking into account the requirements of the Bank of Russia Regulations on Information Disclosure, rules of the Moscow Exchange, current legislation on the protection of insider information and other regulations governing information disclosure.

The Company’s Charter and internal documents, annual and quarterly reports, annual and quarterly accounting (financial) statements under RAS and consolidated financial statements under IFRS, issue documents, information statements, data about affiliates and other information which may have an impact on the price of Company’s securities are published on the Company’s official website and the portal of Interfax – Corporate Information Disclosure Centre.

Types of notices of material facts disclosed in 2020

To ensure that Russian and foreign shareholders are treated equally, the Company discloses financial results of the Group in Russian and English. Conference calls and meetings with institutional investors are held. Representatives of the Company take part in investment conferences. For more detailed information about the mechanisms for interaction with investors see the relevant section of this Report.

A reliable system has been created to prevent the dissemination and use of insider information. Control of transactions made by persons who have access to relevant information is carried out on a regular basis.

Voluntary disclosures

Along with information, which is subject to mandatory disclosure, the Company also publishes information about its activities which is not covered by regulator’s requirements in order to increase the level of openness to its shareholders, the investment community and the media.

PAO Sovcomflot strives to ensure the most prompt coverage of its activities, synchronize audiences and ensure access to published information through various communication channels.

The Company actively interacts with media representatives. SCF Press Service is open to inquiries from the media and promptly provides the most accurate and objective information about the Company’s activities. Conversations with journalists are held on a regular basis, press tours around ships are organised, experts and ships crew members give comments to central and industry media.

Overall, more than 10,000 publications mentioning the Company were made in the media in 2020. The main themes of publications in the media devoted to the Company’s activities were:

  • Entry into the equity market (IPO) and financial results of PAO Sovcomflot;
  • Ordering of a fleet of Arctic LNG carriers for the Arctic LNG 2 project from the Zvezda Shipbuilding Complex (Primorsky Krai);
  • Experimental voyage through the Northern Sea Route undertaken by the LNG carrier Christophe de Margerie in May 2020;
  • The development of unmanned navigation and the use of new energy sources on SCF vessels.
  • Addition of new LNG carriers to the SCF fleet and their operation under long-term agreements with key charterers (SCF La Perouse, SCF Barents)

The Company is represented in social media where news concerning its activities are published regularly.

Publication of press releases on the Company’s official website is one of the key instruments for maintaining communications with a broad range of stakeholders. Most releases cover key themes within the implementation of the business development strategy and those that are relevant for most stakeholders.

Communications within the Group are maintained through several information interaction channels at different levels:

  • text and video messages from management to ships’ captains and crews;
  • information bulletins, including information bulletin of the Board of Directors;
  • the corporate SCF Newsletter (internal and external communications);
  • a feedback form on the Company’s official website (internal and external communication).