Mongolia Brief May 7, 2014
The
Government Revealed a 100-Day Action Plan to Strengthen Economy
May 6
(business-mongolia.com) Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag announced a stimulus bill
named 100-day Action plan for that will seek to ease the economic difficulties
that Mongolia currently facing.
The action plan includes 50 points that would
boost mining, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors and development of SMEs.
The government already made efforts on boosting SMEs to produce import
replacing products and 888 projects were selected. GDP growth has be declining
since 2011 when it reached 17.5%. The first quarter of 2014 GDP growth was
recorded at 7.2%. Also, the biggest mining investor in the country, Rio Tinto,
has announced to wait-and-see until the global commodity prices improve making
them refraining from proceeding with USD4 billion project finance process for
the Oyu Tolgoi mine’s underground part. The MNT was recorded at record low at
MNT1805 against USD today.
First
Deputy PM Meets Ms Feng Min Kan
Ulaanbaatar,
May 7 (MONTSAME) The First Deputy Premier of Mongolia D.Terbishdagva Wednesday
received visiting Ms Feng Min Kan, a special adviser to the UN Special
Representative of the Secretary-General on Disaster Risk Reduction.
Mr Terbishdagva
pointed out that although the number of disaster-related mortality has declined
in Asia-Pacific region in last decade, loss and damage to economy, nature and
ecology have been increasing. Mongolia has unique features of nature and
weather due to its continental climate, so the country always faces the
disasters such as drought, dzud, livestock diseases, steppe and forests fires
which rarely happen in Asia-Pacific region. Thus, Mongolia is focusing big
attention to working out anti-disaster actions, correlating it with a
developmental policy and strategy and having its public gain knowledge on
disaster reduction, he said.
Mr Terbishdagva
said the Mongolian government is ready to collaborate with the UN Special
Representative in disaster reduction activities and various measures combating
disasters.
Expressing
thanks to the First Deputy Premier for attaching a great importance to reducing
disaster reduction and its risk matters, Ms Feng highlighted that state-run and
private organizations in Mongolia have gained achievements in disaster reducing
capability and understanding compared with the date of 2002 when the UN render
humanitarian assistance to Mongolia during dzud disaster.
Ms Feng said
she has held meetings with authorities of several Ministries of Mongolia, and
agreed with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to hold a joint
workshop within the “Creation of potential city” programme.
During the
meeting, Ms Feng invited the First Deputy Premier to participate in the
6th Asian Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction to be held
June in Thailand, and in the World Forum on Disaster Reduction which is
scheduled in March of 2015 in Japan.
At the end of
the meeting, Ms Feng expressed a willingness of the UN Special Representative
to host the 7thConference of Asian Ministers in 2016 in Ulaanbaatar city.
Parliamentary
Session Discusses Measures to Intensify Economy
Ulaanbaatar,
May 7 (MONTSAME) A parliamentary session meeting on Wednesday held the first
discussion of a parliament draft resolution on measures to intensify the
economy of the country.
The discussion
was included in agenda of last Friday’s meeting, but MPs ended the meeting
before finishing the discussion. MPs consider a close supervision should be
paid to the spending of the Government Bonds Capital and the Price
Stabilization Program that is not included in the Government Budget. Many
criticized leaving out of the money of Genghis Bonds and the Development Bank
from the budget gives wrong impression as if there are ‘multiple Government budgets’.
Defense
Ministry Delegates Visit Belarus
Ulaanbaatar,
May 7 (MONTSAME) The Deputy Minister of Defense A.Battor and accompanying him
delegates made a working visit to the Republic of Belarus at an invitation of
the Ministry of Defense of Belarus on May 5-6.
This visit was
paid in frames of 2014 foreign cooperation plans of the Mongolian defense sector.
On the first
day of the visit, our delegation visited the Belaruian Military Academy and the
Ministry of Defense where the Minister A.Battor met with his counterpart
Major-General M.B Puzikov. At the meeting, the sides exchanged views on matters
relating to the defense policies and cooperation between Mongolia and Belarus.
During the
meeting, a military cooperation agreement between Defense Ministries of the two
countries was also inked by the parties. After this, Minister A.Battor was
received by Mr Yu.V Jadobin, the Defense Minister of Belarus to share opinions
on bilateral cooperation matters.
Ending the
visit, our delegates legged to “Belvneshpromservice” State-Owned Foreign Trade
Unitary Enterprise to get familiar with armaments and military products
provided to the defense sector of the country.
Standing
Committee Head Receives SDC Delegation
Ulaanbaatar,
May 7 (MONTSAME) Head of the parliamentary Standing committee on state
structure A.Bakei Wednesday received a delegation of the Swiss Agency for
Development and Cooperation (SDC) headed by Gerard Von Land, an evaluation team
consultant for the SDC programme on governance and decentralization; and other
officials.
The SDC is
implementing the programme on governance and decentralization with an aim to
promote the works for decentralization and reforms which are realized by the
Mongolian government with a non-refundable aid from the Swiss government. This
programme’s main objective is to strengthen its democratic processes and
increase citizen participation in decision-making processes, the SDC officials
said, and they interested in the programme’s correlation with the policy by
parliament.
In response, Mr
Bakei said the action programme of the current government of Mongolia fully
meets policy and goals of parliament, and added goals and purposes of the both
parliament and government focus on decentralization and ensuring citizens’
participation.
Mongolia
Joins Worldskills International
Ulaanbaatar,
May 7 (MONTSAME) The Board of Directors of the Worldskills International took a
decision on acceptance of Mongolia’s application at its meeting held in Geneva
in March 2014.
The decision is
subject to an official approval at the General Assembly of the Worldskills
International to be hosted in Luzern, Switzerland in September 2014.
With above 50
members the WorldSkills International is a not for profit membership
association open to agencies or bodies which have a responsibility for
promoting vocational education and training in their respective
countries/regions.
The membership
opens up opportunities to participate in Skill Olympics, its annual competition
(next to be hosted in Brazil in 2015) and other activities.
Banks
Grant Mortgage Loans of 1,049 Billion Togrog
Ulaanbaatar,
May 7 (MONTSAME) Commercial banks of Mongolia have received so far re-financing
requests for low interest mortgage loans totaling 847.2 billion togrog.
Since
commencing the annual 8% mortgage program last June, the banks have received
requests to refund already awarded housing loans of 847.2 billion togrog, which
have been delivered under the Government program to stabilize the mortgage
system of the nation. Refunding requests for the loans totaling 520.1 billion
from 18 thousand 212 people have been approved by the commercial banks.
During the same
period, the commercial banks have received low interest mortgage loan
applications totaling one trillion togrog. After a careful consideration over
the new requests, the banks decided to grant mortgage totaling one trillion
49.8 billion togrog to 18 thousand 693 applicants.
International
Conference on Mongol Studies Held in USA
Ulaanbaatar,
May 7 (MONTSAME) An international conference on Mongolian Studies was organized
by the Embassy of Mongolia in USA, and the Mongolia Cultural Center (MCC) in
Washington DC on May 2 – 4.
The conference
was attended by over 50 delegates, where some twenty academicians from
Mongolia, USA, Russia and South Korea were invited to discuss issues regarding
the history, literacy and educational challenges of Mongolia and to give key
speeches and presentations.
Hopeful for
great impacts a newly-founded fund will give to Mongol Studies, Ambassador of
Mongolia to USA B.Altangerel, in his speech, pointed out the importance the
Government of Mongolia attaches to the development of Mongol studies abroad.
Added to focus
on history, archeology literacy and linguistics of previous international
conferences on Mongol Studies, this year, agenda of the conference included
socio-economic changes, impacts, gains and losses of Mongolia.
A meeting
dedicated to the prominent scholar Kh.Gombojav who founded Mongol studies in
USA was held during the conference. Kh.Gombojav also played a key role for
Mongolia to join the UN and establish diplomatic relations with many other
countries.
Organizers of
the conference also guided participants around the Library of the United States
Congress to introduce them a Mongolian sutras collection kept there.
Financial
Report of UB Electricity Distribution Network Company Released
Ulaanbaatar,
May 7 (MONTSAME) The Ulaanbaatar Electricity Distribution Network Company has
announced finance report of last April.
Power
generating companies have collected a sum of 13.9 billion togrog from its
customers in the city and it means that an income has increased by 2.7 billion
togrog against same period of 2013.
Main factors included
renewed tariff of electricity power from last August and number of customers
grown up by 5533 to 246 thousand.
N.Enkhbileg
Girl Thanks Minister Kh.Battulga
Ulaanbaatar,
May 7 (MONTSAME) A seven year old N.Enkbileg girl, who recently arrived in
Ulaanbaatar after seeing a medical treatment in South Korea, met Monday with
Industry and Agriculture Minister Kh.Battulga to thank him for his generous
donation to a campaign to collect the cost of the treatment.
N.Enkhbileg
girl had been suffering from gangrene after a vaccination that went terribly
wrong. As the life-threatening condition is untreatable in Mongolia and the
family of the girl was not able to pay S.Korea travel and treatment costs, a
campaign was launched to collect the money from Mongolian people, where the
Industry and Agriculture Minister donated 12 million togrog to the campaign,
and D.Ganbat MP gave the girl five million togrog for the medical operation
needed.
Khatan
Tuul dance group wins State Dance Sport Championships
May 7 (news.mn)
The State Dance Sport Championships "Moon Cup-2014" was held on May
5th in Ulaanbaatar.
This year for
the "Moon Cup" championships there were over 40 dance groups from
Umnugovi, Dornod, Darkhan and Ulaanbaatar competing according to the World
Dance Council (WDC) rules for international competitions. Winners were
announced in five different age categories: newcomer standard (up to 7 years),
beginner standard, Latin (8-11 years), junior standard, Latin (12-15 years),
youth standard, Latin (16-18), adult standard, Latin (above 19 years).
Khatan Tuul
(Queen Tuul) dance group took first place in the standard dance category of the
State Dance Sport Championships and National Proud Ulaansarnai (Red Rose), and
The Moon dance groups took second and third places. In the Latin dance
category, the Moon dance group was granted first place and The Star, and the
Khatan Tuul (Queen Tuul) dance group again took second and third places.
The winners of
the first and second places of the State Dance Sport Championships were granted
the rights to compete in the WDSF World Championship Formation Standard Adult
World Championship in Dance Sport in Braunschweig, Germany in November and the
WDSF European Championship Adult Latin in Russia.
Related:
Mongolian
Dance Groups to Attend World Championships – Montsame, May 7
Senior
Basketball Championship Runs among Europe-Based Mongolians
Ulaanbaatar,
May 7 (MONTSAME) The 6th Senior Basketball Championship ran among Europe-based
Mongolians in Warsaw city of Poland on May 2-4 with a success.
Initiated and
supported by Poland-based Mongolians, the competitions were co-organized by the
Embassy of Mongolia to Poland, “Mon-Pol” Plock basketball club and Amateurs'
Association of Physical culture and Sports.
This sport
action brought together Mongolians from European ten countries including
Sweden, Czech, Germany and Switzerland and a total of 22 teams competed for
championship.
“Ulaanbaatar
International Marathon” held on car free day
May 7 (news.mn)
Ulaanbaatar City will host the “Ulaanbaatar International Marathon” on June
7th. The day has been announced as a “Car-free day” to promote public health
and sports.
This year is
special as the city is marking the 375th anniversary of its establishment.
The Ulaanbaatar
International Marathon aims to develop sport, promote healthy life styles, and
encourage strong mental and physical habits and practices.
The Ulaanbaatar
marathon will embrace 25-30 thousand participants including native and foreign
marathon runners, civilians, representatives of state agencies and NGOs,
students and pupils from secondary schools. Registration for the marathon is
being conducted at the City Authority for Sports and Physical Culture.
Related:
Mongolian
"SBL Xasiin Xuleguud" Club to Cooperate with Michael Jordan Flight
School
Ulaanbaatar,
May 7 (MONTSAME) Mongolian first professional basketball club called “SBL
Xasiin Xuleguud” and Michael Jordan Flight School established an agreement
officially on Wednesday.
The document
was inked by O.Bayartsogt, the CEO of the club and by Mr Mark Raveling, a
director of the school.
In frames of
the document, junior basketball players of the club will be involved in summer
training with Michael Jordan in the USA on August 6-10.
MUST
board agrees on restructure
May 7 (news.mn)
The Board of the Mongolian University of Science and Technology (MUST) has
agreed to structural changes and reforms of the university during a board
meeting on May 2nd. According to the decision, under the new structure, MUST
will be made up of the following schools:
School of Civil
Engineering and Architecture
School of
Business Management and Humanities
School of
Industrial Technology
School of
Geology and Mining
School of
Information and Telecommunication Technology
School of
Energy
School of
Mechanics and Transport
School of
Social Sciences
The school of
Technology in Darkhan-Uul province will also remain as a branch school of MUST.
According to
the resolution made in the Board meeting of MUST, the current 15 schools of
MUST will be closed down by June 30th, 2014. MUST will be organized according
to the new restructure plan by July 1st, 2014.
The President
of MUST, B.Ochirbat is obliged to take the necessary measures to implement the
resolution on the restructural changes.
Money
from Chinggis and Samurai Bonds Not Finished Today, Says CEO of Development
Bank of Mongolia
May 7
(infomongolia.com) The regular "Let's Decide and Renew - 222"
discussion, being held on every Tuesday on the second week on monthly basis,
was held at the "Consensus" Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
on May 06, 2014.
The discussion
was focused on Projects to Replace Import Products and Increase Export, where
authorities of Development Bank of Mongolia and commercial banks;
representatives from professional associations and project initiators; and
officials from affiliated Ministries and Agencies have participated.
The Government
of Mongolia proclaimed 2014 as the Year of Industrialization under “Let’s
Create in Mongolia” and in the frameworks, it was announced to support projects
that aim to replace import products and increase export, where Government
pledged to allocate one trillion MNT (Tugrug) on these projects.
During the
discussion, Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag urged to finance immediately some
approved projects within this May and start shortly.
Civilians were
anxious that Government is run out of money and all capital sourced from
Chinggis bonds has been distributed and finished today. So, to answer on these
misunderstandings, Mr. N.Munkhbat, CEO of Development Bank, notified that as of
today, 1 trillion, 267 billion and 200 million MNT remain from the Chinggis
bonds. Of which, 394 billion MNT will be financed for projects to replace
import products.
Also, 181
billion is left from 269 billion MNT that were accounted into Golomt Bank with
purpose to finance projects supporting agriculture and light industry being
implemented by the Ministry of Industry and Agriculture. These funds are
eligible to transfer for 888 projects finance.
Moreover,
financial source equivalent to 24.3 billion Yen from Samurai bonds is in the
Development Bank’s account. All these money is enough to finance the 888
projects.
These 888
projects to be financed will be categorized in the following 5 groups:
- Fund willing
to borrow is equivalent to 1/3 of total project costs and 2/3 can be
self-financed for the project to implement;
- Fund willing
to borrow is equivalent to 1/3 or more of total project costs;
- Projects
facing with lack of collateral;
- Projects’
estimation is not finished yet or incomplete projects;
- No feasible
projects;
According to
preliminary studies, from the total 888 projects, 579 projects that require up
to 2 billion MNT are eligible to transfer to Small and Medium Enterprises
Development Fund.
Also, some
other incomplete projects will be supported by Mongolian National Chamber of
Commerce and Industry and other local and international financial institutions
to develop the projects.
Networked
Readiness Index 2014: Mongolia
May 7
(infomongolia.com) The World Economic Forum in partnership with INSEAD
(European Institute of Business Administration) have published the 13th edition
of The Global Information Technology Report that features the latest results of
the Networked Readiness Index (NRI), offering an overview of the current state
of ICT (information and communication technologies) readiness in the world.
This year’s
coverage includes a record number of 148 economies, accounting for over 98
percent of global GDP. In addition, the Report presents a wealth of data,
including detailed profiles for each economy covered and data tables with
global rankings for the NRI’s 54 indicators.
The top 10
spots continue to be dominated by Northern European economies, the Asian
Tigers, and some of the most advanced Western economies. Three Nordic economies
- Finland, Sweden, and Norway - lead the rankings and are positioned among the
top Five.
In the
Networked Readiness Index 2014, Mongolia ranked in the 61st place out of 148
economies with a score of 4.1, compare to last year, the country stepped down
by 2 places (Index 2013, 59th with score of 4.0 out of 144 economies) and in
2012 Index, Mongolia was listed in 63rd place among the 142 countries.
MIAT
Mongolian Airlines to Enlarge Its Capacity with Boeing 737-800 Aircraft
May 7
(infomongolia.com) The National Flag Carrier - MIAT Mongolian Airlines JSC
announced today that the company is to enlarge its capacity with a brand new
Boeing 737-800 aircraft on a lease basis. The new aircraft is scheduled to land
at Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar on May 11, 2014.
The Boeing 737
Next Generation of 800 series aircraft is constructed with 150 seats for
economy class and 12 for business class and equipped with latest techniques and
technology. Also, capable to make over 10 hours non-stop flight and the
business class cabin is equipped with “Inflight Entertainment” service.
As of today,
MIAT Airlines operates with two Boeing 737-800 and two Boeing 767-300 aircrafts
and conducts regular direct flights from Ulaanbaatar to Beijing, Honk Kong,
Seoul, Tokyo, Moscow and Berlin, moreover charter flights to Singapore, Hainan,
Cheju, Nagoya, Oyakata and Fukuoka cities.
In frameworks
to upgrade its park, MIAT purchased new Boeing 767-300ER in 2013 and intends to
buy another two Boeing 737-800s by 2016.
City
Council and World Vision Mongolia Sign Memorandum of Understanding on
Cooperation
May 7
(infomongolia.com) On May 06, 2014, the Citizens' Representative Khural of
Ulaanbaatar (City Council) and World Vision Mongolia NGO have established a
Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation to create a friendly, safe
environment for children and to provide a better opportunity for child rights,
development and protection within the capital city.
The Memorandum
of Understanding was inked by Chairman of the City Council Mr. Dashjamts
BATTULGA and Mr. Vincent Edwards, National Director World Vision Mongolia.
In the scope of
the negotiations, parties agreed to collaborate on protecting child and family
against violence, to support some council’s activities related to children that
aim to improve the protection of children rights, education, health, wellbeing
and children with disabilities as well.
World Vision Mongolia
World Vision
Mongolia opened its national office in Ulaanbaatar city in 1995. Now the NGO
has been implementing its projects through 32 Area Development Programmes in
Ulaanbaatar and in 17 rural communities across the country.
Setting five priorities
in the field, World Vision programmes focus on healthy living, child and family
well-being, economic resilience, environmental improvement and child
sponsorship, with the aim of achieving transformational development.
World Vision History
In 1947 Rev.
Pierce met Tena Hoelkedoer, a teacher, while on a trip to China. She introduced
him to a battered and abandoned child named White Jade. Unable to care for the
child herself, she asked, "What are you going to do about her?" Rev.
Pierce gave the woman his last five dollars and agreed to send the same amount
each month to help the woman care for the girl.
This encounter
was a turning point for Rev. Pierce. He began building an organization
dedicated to helping the world's children, and in 1950 World Vision was born.
The first child sponsorship programme began three years later in response to
the needs of hundreds of thousands of orphans at the end of the Korean War.
Over the next
several decades, World Vision expanded its work throughout Asia, Latin America,
Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
Lenin
Museum Doors Forcedly Broken to Open Central Dinosaur Museum
May 7
(infomongolia.com) At the Cabinet meeting held on January 12, 2013, Government
Decree No.11 was issued to open Central Dinosaur Museum in Ulaanbaatar in the
facility, where formerly V.I.Lenin Museum was operational until 1990s.
Shortly after,
the facility administrating authorities of Mongolian People’s Party (MPP)
refused to vacate and appealed for court.
The first
hearing claimed by State Property Committee against MPP was held at the
Chingeltei District Court of Ulaanbaatar, and the District Court announced that
the property shall be owned by state dated from June 13, 2013.
The next-level
court hearing was held at the Capital City Court and the City remained the
District-level decision by issuing a City Court Verification No.645 on August
09, 2013.
After, the MPP
appealed for a higher-level or the Supreme Court of Mongolia, but was not
successful as well and the Supreme Court issued an Ordinance No.689 on November
21, 2013 that cites the building formerly known Lenin Museum locates in the
territory of the 5th Khoroo of Chingeltei District shall be owned and administered
by the state, in addition, the MPP should vacate immediately.
The final
decision was issued on behalf of the State Property Committee, therefore
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism was urging to renovate the
purpose-built facility and open the Central Dinosaur Museum, because at that
time there were no rooms for T-Bataar and other fossils repatriated, but MPP
officials were refusing to vacate to date.
Afterwards, an
MPP representative Sh.Radnaased requested to review the decision, but Chief
Justice of the Supreme Court Ts.Zorigt dismissed the court case on March 11,
2014.
Today on May
07, 2014, General Authority for Implementing Court Decisions and the State
Property Committee forcedly opened the doors of the building and announced the
facility is under their authorization and will be operational as
regulated.
Currently, the
MPP did not state yet any comments or statements on ongoing facts.
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