Mongolia Brief April 3, 2014 Part II



Mongolians visit Australia’s Bendigo

Ulaanbaatar, April 3 (MONTSAME) In a glowing endorsement of Victoria's roads system, Tuesday's visitors to the VicRoads Bendigo branch came all the way from Mongolia to learn about it.

This news about a visit of a Mongolian transport delegation to Australia’s Bendigo was published at bendigoadvertiser.com.au, on Wednesday.
The State Secretary for the Mongolian Transport Ministry B.Batzaya and other senior officials visited Bendigo to observe Victoria's regional road infrastructure.
They attended an all-day conference, in which VicRoads specialists discussed similarities between Victorian and Mongolian landscapes and detailed the methods the state had employed to develop its roads.
"Our challenge is to develop infrastructure in a vast area with a small population," he said.
VicRoads spray seal technology principal engineer John Esnouf worked in Mongolia for several months last year.


Stock exchange news for April 3

Ulaanbaatar, April 3 /MONTSAME/ At the Stock Exchange trades held Thursday, a total of 8,445 shares of 37 JSCs were traded costing MNT 27 million 982 thousand and 667.00.
"Moninjbar" /3,000 units/, "Hai Bi Oil" /2,000 units/, "Material impex” /1,462 units/, "Remikon” /534 units/ and "State Department Store" /448 units/ were the most actively traded in terms of trading volume, in terms of trading value--"Material impex" (MNT 19 million 958 thousand and 760), "Darkhan nekhii" (MNT one million and 590 thousand), "Talkh chikher" (MNT 923 thousand), "Moninjbar" (MNT 870 thousand) and "Mongeo" (MNT 760 thousand).
The total market capitalization was set at MNT one trillion 624 billion 879 million 346 thousand and 179. The Index of Top-20 JSCs was 15,765.57, decreasing by MNT 59.21 or 0.37% against the previous day.


Mongolian community networking event to run in New York

Ulaanbaatar, April 3 (MONTSAME) A Mongolian community networking event is planned to run in New York this Saturday as a part of the Mongolian Young Leaders Program (MYLP).
The event intends to create opportunities of spending an evening with fellow Mongolians working and living in the area and networking with one another. The event is free and open to the greater Mongolian community.
MYLP was founded in 2009 with a mission to provide opportunities for Mongolian student-fellows to meet and network with one another, exchange their views and opinions on present and future issues concerning the prosperity of Mongolia, and ultimately to motivate them to become the future intellectual leaders of the country in diverse fields. This year, MYLP is organized under the auspices of the President of Mongolia Ts.Elbegdorj.


New website opens to propagandize Mongolia

Ulaanbaatar, April 3 (MONTSAME) The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism has opened a website (travel2mongolia.com) to provide international organizations, individuals and tourists with general news about Mongolia.
This website opened after the “Messe Berlin”, main organizer of the ITB Berlin international exhibition, officially announced Mongolia as a partner of the ITB 2015 this April 1.
ITB Berlin is the world's largest tourism trade fair. The companies represented at the fair include hotels, tourist boards, tour operators, system providers, airlines and car rental companies.
Mongolia participated in the fair in 1989 for the first time together with Germany’s “Grand Asia” Company, and attended in 2011 as a cultural partner. The previous year’s exhibition attracted 10 thousand enterprises of 188 countries.


B.Ser-Od to run for Japanese company

Ulaanbaatar, April 3 (MONTSAME) A State Honored Sportsman and long distance runner B.Ser-Od is having an intensive training to compete in the Nagano Marathon that will take place this April 20.
He will run for Japan’s “NTT” company. This year’s marathon is expected to attract 10 thousand 907 male and female runners from 10 countries, excluding Japan.
It is considered that biggest rivals of B.Ser-Od are Kenyans Martin Waweru (best achievement– 2:02:02), Nicholas Chelimo (2.07.38) and Silas Sang (2.09.10). Ser-Od’s best result is two hours 09 minutes, which is recorded during the 2013 Beppu Yomiuri marathon.
For the time being, B.Ser-Od is residing in Japan.
The Nagano Olympic Commemorative Marathon is an annual marathon road race which takes place in mid-April in Nagano, Japan. It is an IAAF Bronze Label Road Race competition. The Nagano Marathon has races for both elite and amateur runners. It is named in honour of the 1998 Winter Olympics which were held in Nagano.


Judokas having training in Germany

Ulaanbaatar, April 3 (MONTSAME) Top judokas of the national selected team are having a joint training in Germany.
The group has comprised some 20 judokas such as N.Tuvshinbayar, an Olympic champion; and Kh.Tsagaanbaatar, a World champion. The joint training will last for ten days in the “Kienbaum” judo training center.


22.1 billion MNT required for drinking water safety

April 3 (UB Post) International and domestic organizations have jointly formulated the first-ever program for ensuring drinking water safety in Mongolia and presented it to the board members of the Ulaanbaatar City Administrations this week.
The program will be carried out for two years until 2016, to supply safe and standard drinking water to residents of the city. A total of 22.1 billion MNT will be spent or the program.
All water tanks, artesian wells, water kiosks and water delivery trucks in the city will be inspected for possible risks to human health and the environment. The results of the inspection will be used to fight threats to drinking water safety in Ulaanbaatar.
The board members agreed to discuss the program at the next meeting of the Ulaanbaatar City Council for approval.
The Mongolian Office of the World Health Organization, Water Supply and Sewerage Authority of Ulaanbaatar City (USUG), Tuul River Basin Administration and the Office of Ulaanbaatar City Governor are collaborating on the project.


N.Altankhuyag: 50 thousand MNT banknotes will not be introduced

April 3 (UB Post) Prime Minister of Mongolia N.Altnakhuyag held his weekly “30 Minutes with the Prime Minister” meeting yesterday and made statements to the press regarding the nation’s current issues. According to news.mn, Finance Minister Ch.Ulaan announced during his working hours at the governmental 11-11 hotline center, that the issue of introducing a 50 thousand MNT banknote is under review, but the Prime Minister refuted that information and said it was a rumor.
N.Altankhuyag also stated that a resolution on measures to be taken for the current economic situation in Mongolia will be submitted to the Parliament. 
The following are responses by the Prime Minister to journalists’ questions.
The opposition force has been reporting that the performance of the government’s action plan is only at 30 percent. Is it true that the performance is so low?
Is it necessary to go after a number? The administration has had only 1.7 years since its establishment. The results of the government’s performance are measured by the facts, and the fact is that people’s living standards have been improved. Actually, the performance of the government’s actions were measured at 42.6 percent and will be soon discussed through the parliament.
When will measures be taken against officials who developed the corrupt budget?
Officials of the General Audit Office have visited every province and conducted investigations, as Parliament has frozen the investments of 234 construction projects. The results will be discussed by parliament, then submitted to the government. By that time, it will become clear who to take relevant measures against.
The Mongolian People’s Party has warned that Mongolia’s economy is facing difficult conditions and has reached a decision to hold a consultation to determine ways to get out of the current economic situation. Has Mongolia’s economy really worsened or is the opposition party just playing political games? Can you please name positive indicators in the current economy? If the economy really has deteriorated, are ways to get over it being determined?
I won’t lie and say that the current Mongolian economy is in good condition. Mongolia’s income has been reduced. The world economy this year has worsened compared to previous years and this is also influencing our economy. When the global economy declines, it impacts the price of Mongolian export products. For instance, the price of coal is lower than last year. However, instead of blaming the drop in the price of coal, the government and central bank are starting to implement certain projects around it, such as seeking ways to increase the amount of exported coal. Also, the policy to support the construction sector will start being carried out this spring. We are focusing on making cashmere a VAT product.
It is right to hold meetings and consultations focusing on the economy. There is nothing like the economic policy of government. Thus, it is important to determine ways to get over bad economic situations with cooperation. The government is working on certain suggestions. The spring session is to start next week.
What happened to the New Government for Changes’ claim that it will operate without any breaks or holidays? It has started to take breaks on Saturdays in addition to the Fall Session break.
The New Government for Changes has 1.7 years behind it. During this period, it worked nonstop for the majority of its time. But after the Fall Session break, the ministers started seeking treatment in hospitals for exhaustion. That’s why the decision was made to hold weekly governmental meetings on Friday instead of Saturday during the Parliamentary Fall Session break. The decision was not made to avoid working without a break, it was decided for the sake of the chamber members’ health. Starting next Saturday, the government will hold its regular meetings. Also, the governors are introduced to the sectors they are in charge of on weekends. It will continue regularly.
The political parties outside of parliament are starting to demand the resignations of Minister of Economy Development N.Batbayar and Mining Minister D.Gankhuyag. What is your position on this issue?
Is it right or wrong to blame D.Gankhuyag when coal price has fallen in the global market? It is an issue to discuss.
When Finance Minister Ch.Ulaan worked at the 11-11 governmetnal center and responded to citizens’ questions he announced that an appointed working group is studying the printing of a 50 thousand MNT banknote. But you refuted this. Who should we believe? 
Today (April 3) I asked President of Mongolbank N.Zoljargal if it is going to introduce a 50 thousand MNT banknote and he responded, “No”. So, it is a rumor.
Will heating fees be doubled?
There is no discussion at all for fees for heating to double.
Economists are advising that the Oyu Tolgoi project needs to be intensified in order to recover the economy. Is the government discussing that issue with the investor side?
The New Government for Changes has always expressed our position and willingness to exploit Oyu Tolgoi’s underground mine. Last week, a letter was sent to the Director of Rio Tinto stating that Mongolia is ready to exploit the underground mine. The reason why the investors are staying still is that the global economy has worsened and the price of copper has declined for a while. That’s why investors are not rushing.
Development Bank still hasn’t issued financing for the new railway project. What about that?
It is the issue of the two ministries in charge of the project.


Ulaanbaatar to install 490 more surveillance cameras

April 3 (UB Post) Ulaanbaatar is planning to set up 490 surveillance cameras this year. The 3.6 billion MNT fund required for the project will be drawn from the city budget and Local Development Fund.
Common regulations on the use of video records will be released within April, and the organization responsible for provision of video surveillance will be selected.
The Office of Ulaanbaatar City Governor is currently working to form a serial number for all surveillance cameras in the city to ensure proper maintenance.
Currently, Chinggeltei District’s 13th and 14th khoroos have 25 cameras, while there are a total of 175 cameras in Chinggeltei’s seventh and 14th khoroos, and Bayangol District’s first, seventh, 12th, 13th, 14th and 19th khoroos. Sukhbaatar District’s 16th khoroo has 125 cameras, which totals 369 surveillance cameras in the city.


ADB warns Mongolia of external imbalances

April 3 (UB Post) A new report by Asian Development Bank (ADB) forecasts Mongolia’s economic growth to reach 9.5 percent in 2014, driven by the start of copper production at the Oyu Tolgoi open pit mine last year and 10 percent in 2015.
“Rapidly declining foreign direct investment, falling coal exports, compounded by highly expansionary fiscal and monetary policy have created balance-of-payment (BOP) pressures. While the depreciation of the MNT has already stabilized the current account deficit, relieving BOP pressures, stabilizing the MNT and containing inflation will require a tightening of economic policy to rein in domestic demand growth. Mongolia’s economic prospects also remain highly vulnerable to economic trends in the PRC and the global economy, while current policies offer little buffers to cope with possible external shocks,” the report said.
According to the ADB report, developing Asia will extend its steady economic growth in 2014 as higher demand from recovering advanced economies will be dampened somewhat by moderating growth in the People’s Republic of China.
ADB’s annual economic publication, Asian Development Outlook 2014 (ADO), released this month, forecasts developing Asia will achieve gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.2 percent in 2014, and 6.4 percent in 2015. The region grew 6.1 percent in 2013.
“The recovery in the major industrial economies is gaining momentum. Combined GDP growth in the United States, the euro area, and Japan is expected to pick up to 1.9 percent in 2014 from one percent in 2013 before strengthening further to 2.2 percent in 2015. Growth in the PRC is expected to moderate. The economy slowed to 7.7 percent in 2013 on impacts from tightened credit growth, pared industrial overcapacity, deepening local government debt, rising wages, currency appreciation, and the continuing shift in the government’s development priorities away from quantity toward quality. These factors persist and China’s growth is forecast to slow to 7.5 percent in 2014 and 7.4 percent in 2015,” said the ADO.
The report also warned that China’s sudden efforts to curb credit exchange might skid Mongolia’s rapid economic growth.
“While risks to the international outlook have eased, three areas warrant close monitoring. First, if efforts in China to curb credit expansion are too abrupt and excessively undermine growth, a deeper slowdown could drag down prospects for its trade partners, including Mongolia. Second, data on the recovery in the major industrial economies have been mixed; pointing to the possibility that demand for the region’s goods from these countries may be softer than envisaged. And third, a further shock to global financial markets from changes in US monetary policy cannot be ruled out,” the report said.
Widening income gaps threaten Asia’s poverty reduction efforts
The ADO said that widening income gaps are undermining decades of successful poverty reduction in developing Asia, meaning governments should proactively use fiscal policy to close gaps and promote more inclusive growth.
“Fiscal policy can and should play a bigger role in promoting inclusive growth in Asia,” said ADB’s Deputy Chief Economist Juzhong Zhuang. “Asian policy makers must act now to integrate inclusion targets into their budget planning to transition to a path where the benefits of growth are broadly shared.”
The report said that international experience shows that public spending can reduce income inequality. Government spending on education and health care, for example, broadens access for the poor to these vital services and helps level the playing field. “Making infrastructure affordable and accessible allows the poor to take better advantage of the opportunities that come with improved education and health.”
“Many regional economies have scope to direct more public resources toward this type of spending. But this capacity may not last as rising costs associated with aging societies and environmental pressures will squeeze fiscal space in coming decades. Asia’s revenue base remains small by global standards: During the 2000s, the ratio of tax revenue to GDP averaged 17.8 percent in developing Asia, well below the global average of 28.6 percent,” the report emphasized.
Options to raise revenue include broadening the base for personal income tax and value-added tax, enlarging corrective taxes and nontax revenues, and introducing naturally progressive taxes on property, capital gains, and inheritance, the report said.
ADO said that policy actions must support efforts to raise revenue and these should include systematically incorporating equity objectives into fiscal policy, preferably over a medium-term horizon; upgrading government fiscal data to better track public programs and assess their effectiveness; leveraging information and communication technologies to improve tax administration; and considering public–private partnerships in social infrastructure to help extend the reach of education and health care services.


U.Tsevegmid: Children make up 20 percent of Mongolians going abroad for medical treatment

April 3 (UB Post) The following is an interview with U.Tsevegmid, vice president of the Health Development Center
The Ministry of Health released a list of 33 illnesses that are impossible to treat in Mongolia.  We’ve heard that your hospital is registering people who are suffering from one of the 33 illnesses. What kind of illness do they have?
According to a resolution from the Minister of Health, we have started surveying patients who are suffering from these 33 illnesses. Unfortunately, some people consider it a registration. It is not a registration. The main reason for conducting this survey is to identify what kind of symptoms arise from these 33 illnesses. Currently, most of people who have participated in this survey want to go abroad to be treated for their various illnesses.  Besides our survey, statistics have shown a high rate of liver cancer. Even if Mongolian doctors are treating liver cancer, people continue to go abroad for treatment. For example, instead of having expensive surgery overseas, such as placing a stent in a coronary artery, it is better to invite foreign surgeons to Mongolia and find decisive ways to treat health problems. If the cost per person working in Mongolia is cheap, we intend to conduct surgery in Mongolia instead of having people go abroad.
How many people are involved in this survey? How long will it last?
We started conducting the survey on March 10. It will last for a month until the 10th of this month. Citizens are participating in the survey online and through five numbers on G-Mobile. As of March 28, a total of 208 citizens got involved. At present, there are 38 people who want go abroad, of which 18 percent are children aged 0-15. Mongolians believe that only old people usually have illnesses. But the age of those living with illness is becoming much younger. Therefore, we have only one cancer study hospital and it is always crowded. Because of this, people are facing the necessity to go abroad.
Can you identify the cause of these children’s illnesses?
It is not the time to make an analysis or conclusion regarding the survey. We hope that we can know the causes from the results of survey.
In the case of patients who know that their illness is impossible to treat in Mongolia, the patient’s family wants to go abroad as quickly as possible. For the patients involved in your survey, going abroad is not their first step. Will doctors find a way to treat them?
We are looking for all possibilities to ensure our patient’s treatment, save lives and health, and import expensive equipment if it is vital. There are several private hospitals that perform highly qualified services. Unfortunately, people have medical comments released and primarily go abroad even though there are many experienced, specialized doctors in Mongolia. On the other hand, it is the right decision to go abroad before their illnesses get worse. It led us to study the resources of our doctors.
Which country do citizens mostly choose to visit?
Most of them, 59 percent, want to have surgery in Korea.   After Korea, they want to have surgery in China, India and the United States. Next week, our survey will be finished and we will make a conclusion based on the data.
Solutions and decisions will be discussed at the ministerial level. Moreover, professional authorities will conduct a meeting and exchange their views. The work of helping the patients who have participated in this survey is an important issue being discussed at the Ministry of Health.
Why do you think people choose Korea? Is it related to Korean doctor’s qualifications and reasonable treatment cost compared to other countries?
It is better to ask this question of the patients. For me, Korean equipment and assistance services are quite good and the cost is cheap compared to America. Furthermore, many Mongolians live in Korea and while they are being treated, they can stay with their relatives.  There are many people spending a lot of money on treatment.  Each and every person can’t stay at a hotel. That is why they may choose Korea.
The expenditure of patients going abroad is going to be paid from the Prime Minister’s pack money. How much money is expected to be paid?
Depending on a patient’s situation, medical comments, need for surgery, and course of treatment, the Minister decides the amount of monetary assistance. This doesn’t mean he will distribute money to everyone going overseas to have surgery. To implement the decisions they have made about assistance, a certain amount of money will be needed.
There are many patients hearing that their illnesses are impossible to treat. Maybe they have not heard about this survey. To help them, can you share where people can go and how they can get involved in your study?
Families often know more than the patients do about their illness. In each three stage hospital, there is a commission working. The commission gives us a statement noting that a patient’s cancer is impossible to treat. A citizen who has a diagnosis that says recovery from their illness is impossible must get involved and be registered in the survey.
If there are patients that don’t have information about the survey, please visit chd.moh.mn and or \contact us by telephone at the following numbers: 93137804, 98648801, 98622495, 93131765, and 93131707.
People can also visit the website of the Ministry of Health and submit their written diagnosis and get involved in the survey.
33 illnesses impossible to treat in Mongolia
A. Neurosurgery
-   constriction of jugular and spinal artery, surgery for blockage
-   surgical treatment of oblongatal defect
-   Parkinson’s disease, torsion  dystonia, stereotactic surgery for epilepsy
-   base brain and column structural tumor
-   skull base tumor
-   brain third ventricle tumor
-   middle brain and column structural malformation
-   gamma therapy for brain spinal cancer
B. Ear-Nose-Throat
-   auditory nerve cancer
-   Wegener disease; serious form
-   Meniere’s disease; serious form
C.  Eye study
-   neonatal retinopathy
D. Cardiovascular disease
-   cardiac arrhythmia, ablation treatment
-   constriction of coronary heart disease; serious form
-   child’s serious defect
-   cardiac vessels angiectopy
E. Cancer
-   block with artificial organ after extended surgery of head and neck
-   IMRT treatment for salivary gland cancer
-   windpipe cancer
-   fistula of windpipe and esophagus
- fistula of rectum, vagina after radiation treatment
-   rehabilitation surgery of bone and pulp
-   limb-saver cancer
-   true pelvis and  thoracic cavity cancer
F. Liver study
-   birth defects of the liver
G. Trauma
-   loss of shape and chest size following severe burns
-   serious premature birth development
H. General surgery
-   treatment following medulla transplant surgery
-   heart transplant surgery
-   transplant surgery for patients with high liver virus activation
I. Infertility and obstetrics
-   birth with adrenogenital syndrome
-   female genital reconstruction surgery
-   infertility due to immature development of ovaries
-    male infertility treatment


Mongolian athlete seizes three gold medals from World Master Athletics Championship

April 3 (UB Post) The World Master Athletics Indoor Championships was held from March 25 to 30 in Budapest, Hungary. Mongolian master athlete T.Tserendolgor, 76, won gold medals in three contests of the World Master Athletics Championships 2014.
She won the M45 shot put, M60 javelin throw and M70 discus throw which took place on March 26.
T.Tserendolgor is one of the few experienced athletes of the Mongolian Athletics Association. She previously participated in tournaments held in Brazil and European countries, and won a total of 12 gold, 21 silver and 9 bronze medals in total.
Some 400 athletes from 72 countries competed in this year’s indoor championships in Budapest.


L.Bold: Let’s save our Mother Tongue

April 3 (UB Post) The Director of the Institute of Language and Literature of the Mongolian Academy of Science (MAS), State Honored Emeritus and academician L.Bold gave an interview about language preservation issues in Mongolia.
 Recently, the media has received many criticisms for bringing up issues about the safety of the Mongolian language. What is your position on the subject, as an expert on this matter?
I’ll just state my position. From the chambers of the parliament to ordinary stockholders, from the president to individual citizens, everyone is talking about the weakening of social value of the Mongolian language. It’s also written in medias. Today, we’re living in a completely new environment where our lifestyles are rapidly changing. Due to this, we’re acting irresponsibly to things, especially to the mother tongue. Inappropriate use is the main issue. For instance, getting carried away in trying to speed things up and developing unprocessed material, criticizing those who point out mistakes by saying that it’s just a comment on the web, and using foreign words to express things when it can be expressed in Mongolian words. All of these affect the weakening social functions of the Mongolian language.
Presently, it’s known as the spread of mother tongue. After reading few articles on the destruction of the mother tongues in other countries, all sorts of comments are written about the signs of approaching dangers. It hasn’t happened yet. As long as Mongolia and state language exist, there’s spread. Issues about knowledge of the mother tongue should be wide-ranged from government policies to individuals’ knowledge of the mother tongue.
Is there a way to organize the many dozens of foreign words that have become apart of our daily lives?
It’s possible. In the official state language law, it’s stated, “Translate foreign words to Mongolian or use it with explanation of its meanings.” From the history of MAS, in 1924, a terminology division with 10 sections was established adjacent to the Institute of Scripture, with J.Tseveen as the Head. Until the 1970s, this division was part of the Institute of Language and Literature and was responsible for correcting and setting terminologies. Mongolian terminologists play a big role in keeping Mongolian mother language clean. In 1990, many places lost their original purpose. According to the law, it’s stated that it will be part of the State Language Council. It separated from language experts and supervision. Minister of Culture Sports and Tourism Ts.Oyungerel once said that state activities related to the preservation of mother tongue will be separated from small divisions. The Head of the State Language Council is the minister in charge of culture. It hasn’t completely separated from small divisions. We must enrich and develop this precious heritage passed down from our ancestors and pass it to future generations.
To improve and develop the spread of mother tongue, what are scientists doing? Talks of academician Tumurtogoo about removing the letters “ъ” and “ь” was not received well by many. If they are removed, how will you distinguish words such as “больё” (let’s stop) and “болъё” (let’s become)?
It’s easy to remove “ъ” and “ь” You can write it as “болиё” and “болоё” The main issue isn’t that. China and Japan have used Chinese characters for a long time. No one can determine when Mongolian language was created. It’s a different issue to determine when the Mongolian language and Mongols were mentioned in history. Recently, the 2220th year anniversary of establishment of Khunnu Empire was celebrated. The core of this is that it proves that Mongolians existed during this time and it has been accepted by many countries. Mongolians had literature of ancestors which is mentioned as “kemo” in Chinese sources. Researchers translate this word as “cutting wood.” From our research, it had structured phonetic letters. Proof of this is the word “бичиг” (writing). The initial meaning of “бичиг” was printing and carving. Certain phonetics was carved on wood. In Turkic, it means “yazi” (in Mongolian it means to draw). From this, it can be concluded that Mongolia had phonetic scrip since Khunnu era. Mongolia had Uigarjin script which also has phonetic scrip from around fifth to sixth century.
From careful observations of many changes in Mongolian writing, it can be seen that Mongolians tried to include changes in phonetics to its script. If we see it from this perspective, there isn’t many linguistic basis on removing “ъ” and “ь” This issue was also discussed in the 1950s. Majority of the people wanted to keep them so Damdinsuren left it the same. The recent uproar was the same. For a nationality rich in history of literature and scripts, there’ll always be issues about writing rules. Even now, after starting to use new letters, Mongolians haven’t completely organized it. Scientists discuss solutions to overcome this matter domestically.
Approximately a year ago, a group of linguists met with the Prime Minister to submit a proposal and an approval and conclusion was made. Can you elaborate on this?
At the end of 2012, scientists of the School of Mongolian Language and Culture of the National University of Mongolia (NUM), School of Mongol Studies of the Mongolian State University of Education, and Institute of Language and Literature of the MAS joined to meet the Prime Minister. We proposed that we establish an integrated grammar dictionary. Students enrolling into universities and government employees give examinations on their knowledge of the mother language and take measurements to improve their grammar and writing skills on the media. The Prime Minister welcomed the proposal and approved the Resolution No.37 to improve the knowledge of Mongolian language and literature. We had basis to propose.
In 2012, with several of my colleagues, I approached the General  Specialized Inspection Agency and conducted a broad research throughout the country on Mongolian language education program of general education schools and tested the language knowledge of middle school and high school teachers. At state levels, out of 12,423 fifth grade students of 172 general education schools, 7,169 students (53.4 percent) didn’t meet standards, and 65.7 percent of total students couldn’t complete 50 percent of given tasks. This is a truly regretful and insufficient statistic showing the depreciated knowledge of the Mongolian language. We shouldn’t hide this, there’s insufficiency in correct management of correct governmental laws and policies.
How will grammars of the media be organized?
Lately, the number of media has increased immensely. Currently in Mongolia, there are around 100 newspapers, some 50 television channels and on top of that there are radio FMs. On the one side, it is a good thing that the public has access to a variety of mediums to choose from. How well these medias are fulfilling their duty to strengthening the reach of the mother tongue is another issue. Mongolia hasn’t had the experience of having so many press and media. It’s necessary to learn from the experiences of places that have experiences in dealing with lots of media. For instance, at the end of each year, in Inner Mongolia and China, experts read notable published materials of the year. Analysis of every aspect of linguistics including grammar, terminology, meanings, and literature is done. If there’s a mistake, they take measurements for violating and creating distortion in language norms. There’s an Institute of Mother Tongue for implementing governmental policies about the Japanese language. This institute, besides publishing dictionaries with newly developed words, publicizes incorrect use of words, phrases and foreign words uses when it could’ve used Japanese words. The reputation of the media mentioned in this may either rise or drop depending on whether they were praised or criticized. We can start a campaign and discuss grammatical rules like China.
Secondly, as mentioned by Tudev, we should select publication companies that give the most accurate information concisely and completely. This isn’t an impossible work. Somebody needs to start it. It’s said that although Mongolia has a huge vocabulary, we talk in few words. I interpret this as insufficiency of work done to promote interest in literature among children from a young age and works associated with this.
The parliament is discussing the Mother Tongue Law. In the new legal project, was expert opinion on the subject adequately reflected?
Yes. I worked in the working group to develop the Mother Tongue Law. Legal documents must be developed accurately. The law must include the implementation procedure, how the press may use language, and who and at what level grammatical rules should be used. I believe that this law is an improvement upon the previous versions and able to surpass it. Parliament members talked about the law many times and made the public understand its significance. I hope that this law is approved in the near future.
You said that you wanted to get an integrated solution by holding a national mother language and cultural consultation to talk about pressing issues in the field. Is the ministry supporting this idea?
It’s clear that apart from us, educators, journalists, politicians, calligraphers, novelists and everyone in our society is related to this matter. A wonderful standard where many people discuss and come to resolutions is being established. With this in mind, we want to hold a national consultation. Minister Ts.Oyungerel is a very intelligent and strong willed person. She’ll probably make definite decisions for this. It seems that only financial issues are left. Not much money is required for this. I heard that some 100 thousand MNT was planned. I wonder how much a bucket of coal from Tavan Tolgoi costs. All I’m asking for is to give one or two shovels of coal. This seems possible.


Father and Son exhibition

April 4 (UB Post) Sculptor A.Ulziibatar and his son U.Odkhuu unveiled their joint exhibition
“Father and Son” at the Union of Mongolian Artists, on view from March 28 to April 7.
Primitive and hyper-realistic artwork is displayed in the exhibition. Wooden and bronze sculptures by A.Ulziibaatar are included, and his son has shared sculptures created with various materials, such as silicone, wood and bronze.
Both father and son are two of the best Mongolian representatives of primitivism and hyper-realism. The sculptures are captivating and exude a strong sense of meaning.
Link to article

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