Mongolia Brief October 2, 2014
Leaders
of Mongolian Government Place Flowers to Zorig Memorial
October 2
(infomongolia.com) On October 02, 2014, family members, friends and state
representatives led by President Ts.Elbegdorj, Speaker of the Parliament
Z.Enkhbold and Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag have placed flowers to the monument
of S.Zorig.
Sanjaasuren
ZORIG (April 20, 1962 - October 02, 1998), who was assassinated on this day,
today is commemorated as the “Golden Magpie” of Mongolia’s Democracy and leader
of the country's 1990 democratic revolution after which one-party rule in
Mongolia was ended.
Related:
Wreaths
Laid to Statue of S.Zorig – Montsame,
October 2
Remembering S.Zorig – news.mn, October 2
Leader of democratic revolution
S.Zorig remembered – UB Post,
October 2
Head
of Government Proposes to Reduce Number of Ministries of Mongolia from 16 to 13
October 2
(infomongolia.com) On October 02, 2014, Prime Minister of Mongolia
N.Altankhuyag submitted a draft bill on amendments to the Law on Government to
the Speaker of the State Great Khural (Parliament) Z.Enkhbold.
In his speech
at the Opening of 2014 Autumn Plenary Session of the Parliament, Speaker
Z.Enkhbold pledged to revise the issue of restructuring in the Prime Minister’s
Cabinet despite of agenda sequences.
Accordingly,
Premier N.Altankhuyag introduced the draft bill stating, “In order to intensify
the development of Mongolian economy, organize Government Action Plan
implementations, and provide socio-economic development, it has become necessary
to re-consider the government structure by the means of not duplicating the
functional roles. Therefore, I propose to unite some Ministries and offer the
following suggestions:
- To unite the
Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Development, and rename as the
Ministry of Finance of Mongolia;
- To unite the
Ministry of Mining and the Ministry of Energy, and rename as the Ministry
Geology, Mining and Energy of Mongolia;
- To unite the
Ministry of Construction and Urban Development and the Ministry of Roads and
Transportation, rename as the Ministry of Infrastructure Development of
Mongolia;
If the draft
bill is approved, the Government of Mongolia would functional with 13
Ministries, 11 Regulatory Agencies and 19 Implementing Agencies”.
Currently, the
Government of Mongolia is functional with 16 Ministries and 31 Regulatory and
Implementing Agencies, where two Implementing Agencies were newly established
as the Marshal (Takhar) Authority and Invest Mongolia.
Related:
Premier
Proposes Changes in Government Structure – Montsame, October 2
Government restructuring
plan announced – news.mn, October
2
Six ministries specified in
government restructuring plan submitted to Parliament – UB Post, October 2
Minister
of Economic Development Submits Bills
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) The Minister of Economic Development N.Batbayar MP
Wednesday submitted to the Speaker Z.Enkhbold a draft law on developmental
policy and planning.
Mongolia
approved some 480 long-, middle- and long-term policy documents between 1991
and 2013, over 190 of them are still in force, being formulated as the state
policy, programme, basic guidelines and planning. Due to poor correlation and
duplication of the goals and purposes, not every document has been realized
successfully, therefore, a legal environment is required for the developmental
planning, Batbayar MP said.
It is also
vital to create a legal environment for arranging and classifying the valid
development documents, to keep their continuation, and to focus them on united
purpose of the development, he said.
The same day,
Mr Batbayar submitted also a bill on fortifying regional centers of medical
treatment and diagnosis. This bill aims to improve the medical services and
adequacy in western region by providing Khovd aimag’s regional diagnosis
medical center with the latest hi tech and facilities and by training medical
doctors.
Minister
of Finance Submits Bills and Draft Amendments
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) The Minister of Finance Ch.Ulaan MP Wednesday submitted to
the Speaker Z.Enkhbold some draft laws and draft amendments to some laws.
He presented
bills on the 2015 budget, on the 2015 budget for the Human development fund
(HDF), on the 2015 budget for social insurance fund, on the 2015 budget
framework of the master budget, also draft amendments to the laws on 2016-2017
budget assumption, on budgetary stability, and on budget.
The same day,
he also submitted a draft amendment to the law on regime of parliamentary
session.
Parliament
Holds Closed Session
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) The autumn session of parliament is to discuss Thursday a
draft of the parliamentary resolution on measures for implementing state
policy on railroad transportation and a draft law on amending the law on
Government. The discussions will take place in a closed regime.
A discussion of
whether to consider the first draft began at the spring session of this year,
"now we will focus on it in a closed regime, after this, the factions will
gather, after which the Standing committee on state structure will decide
whether or not to discuss the draft on amending the law on the government
structure and a draft on amending the law on the government composition,"
commented the Speaker.
Since the
Premier has asked to urgently discuss the drafts concerning an amendment of the
laws on governmental structure and composition, "the session will consider
them regardless of the line-up of the agenda," he said.
The closed
session will continue after the meeting of the Standing committee on state
structure, he added.
MSE
Drafts Act on Regulations of Futures and Options Exchanges
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) As a preparation for conducting Futures and Options
exchanges contracts, the Mongolian Stock Exchange is developing a draft act on
regulations of these exchanges, in compliance with global standards.
Mongolia does
not have a Central Counterparty Clearing, a main professional organization for
the Futures and Options exchanges. So, in accordance with the strategic
partnership agreement with the London Stock Exchange inked this September 9,
the latter will give professional assistance on establishing this
organization in Mongolia.
MSE plans to
run the draft act presenting discussions themed "Financial Risk Management
and Contract FX", with ten public and 20 private entities, starting from
October 1. The discussions already ran at state-owned “Mongolian Post” and “The
fourth Thermal Station” companies on Wednesday.
Aero
Mongolia launches public flights to Oyu Tolgoi airport
October 2 (Oyu
Tolgoi) - Twice weekly flights will
connect local people to Ulaanbaatar –
Ulaanbaatar,
Mongolia - Oyu Tolgoi’s Khanbumbat Airport received its very first
commercial flight today (Wednesday). Aero Mongolia has launched a twice weekly
service from UIaanbaatar to the airport, located in Khanbogd soum of Umnogobi
aimag.
The first
flight, carrying senior Government officials and business representatives,
touched down on the Gobi’s first international standard runway before a special
opening ceremony.
The launch of
the flights, served by Dutch made Fokker-50 aircraft, marks solid progress in
Oyu Tolgoi’s plans to share the mine’s infrastructure with local people and
communities.
CEO of Aero
Mongolia U.Sagamdoldoi said “Eleven years have passed since our company
launched its first flight. We are proud to have provided air transport to Oyu
Tolgoi since the project began. Thanks to the mine, there has been a
considerable increase in the number of passengers flying to the South Gobi.
Local people have often asked us to open new flights so we are delighted that,
because of the construction of Khanbumbat, we have been able to do this.”.
Ivan Vella,
Chief Operating Officer of Oyu Tolgoi, said: “When we opened Khanbumbat Airport
two years ago, we always had a day like today in mind. While we need the
airport to bring our workforce to and from Oyu Tolgoi, we always had the intent
that this key piece of regional infrastructure would be shared and bring
tangible benefit to the community.”
After the
ceremony at the airport, the dignitaries visited a local herder
Ts.Suvdanshagai’s family and the Demchig monastery.
Flights between
Khanbumbat and Ulaanbaatar will take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Aero
Mongolia has opened a representative ticket office in Khanbogd.
Mongolia
and Japan Celebrate 40th Anniversary of Cultural Ties
October 2
(infomongolia.com) In the frameworks of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the
establishment of cultural relations between Mongolia and Japan, a group of
Mongolian art performers led by State Prize Winner D.Sosorbaram have participated
in the Opening of Japanese Arts Festival held at the National Theatre of Japan
in Tokyo on October 01, 2014.
Mongolian
troupe of 21 performers were comprised from “Bilguun Undraga” Cultural Center,
“Domog” folk band, traditional long-song singers R.Bolormaa and G.Enkhbaatar,
dancers D.Enkhgerel and D.Bayarbaatar, and contortionist G.Nyamgerel presenting
traditional dances as well as shaman dance and religious mask dance called
Tsam, and music performances with Mongol Tsuur and Morin Khuur.
At the beginning
of concert, Japanese Buddhist monks performed their traditional singing, played
Tsuur instrument and shown Tsam dances.
The concert was
seen by 1,500 viewers, whereas His Highness Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown
Princess Masako, Leaders of the Mongolia-Japan Parliamentary Friendship Group,
Satsuki Eda and Motoo Hayashi, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Shinsuke
Sugiyama, Prime Minister Sh.Abe's mother Yoko Kishi as well as many other
politicians and authorities from cultural, public, business and other sectors
were present.
Following the
concert, His Highness Crown Prince Naruhito and Princess Masako held a meeting
with Mongolian delegates expressing their gratitude on hosting such talent
performance and Prince Naruhito mentioned his visit to Mongolia, when he played
a violin with Morin Khuur Ensemble.
Moreover,
Mongolian performers are scheduled to stage in Yamanashi, Shizuoka, Fukuoka,
Oita, and Tokushima Prefectures and in Osaka and Izumisano cities of Japan on
October 02-17, 2014.
Related:
Mongolia-Japan
Joint Concert Takes Place – Montsame,
October 2
Mongolia and Japan joint concert
takes place – UB Post, October 2
Speaker
Z.Enkhbold urges a discussion of government restructuring
October 2
(news.mn) During Thursday's plenary session meeting, parliament scheduled a
discussion of a resolution on measures to implement the State Policy on
Railway Transportation.
This issue,
which had been submitted to parliament, is now being discussed in session
meetings behind closed doors.
Speaker
Z.Enkhbold urged parliamentarians to discuss the issue of restructuring the
government, as Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag submitted the issue to parliament
for immediate discussion.
Head of MPP
caucus in Parliament S.Byambatsogt expressed his support of the discussion,
stressing, "It is appropriate for the Parliament to discuss the issue to
restructure the government to make it smaller and more capable."
Today's session
meeting was also scheduled to discuss the resignation of Economic Development
Minister N.Batbayar, but it was delayed due to the issue of government
restructuring.
Mongolia-China
border briefly closed for four days
October 2
(news.mn) China briefly closed parts of its border with Mongolia as China marks
the 65th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China,
celebrated for four days between October 1st and 4th.
Both sides
close their borders briefly during national celebrations and holidays according
to the Mongolia-China border treaty.
Night
trolley service halted
October 2
(news.mn) Mongolian Electric Transportation Company announced changes to its
contract with the City Transportation Authority, halting night trolley services
starting October 2nd.
Mongolian
Electric Transportation Company halted the night trolley service, which was
launched in July under the “Night Eco Transportation” project, to undergo
winter preparation measures and maintain the normal operations of Mongolian
Electric Transportation Company.
The night
trolley service will resume after February 16, 2015.
Public buses on
the “ШҮ 7 буудал-МУБИС” (7 Hotels - National University) and “ШҮ
Нисэх-МУБИС-Ард кино театр” (Airport-National University-Ard Theater) routes
will be available on the night trolley routes.
103
students poisoned from meals containing chemicals
October 2
(news.mn) A total of 103 students of a school in Bayan-Ulgii Province were
poisoned from eating school meals and hospitalized on September 3rd.
The results of
food samples analyzed at the Natural Studies Laboratory at the Mongolian
Academy of Sciences showed that the food eaten by the students contained the chemical
acetyl.
The General
Agency for Specialized Inspection said, "The acetyl chemical compound is
typically found in petroleum products including benzene and diesel fuel. Flour
used in the meal that poisoned the students might have been contaminated with
acetyl during loading or shipping. The Provincial Specialized Inspection
Department and Bayan-Ulgii Police Department have launched an investigation of
the incident."
Making
the move to a middle-income country
October 2
(Mongolian Economy) N. Enhkbayar, former
advisor to an executive director at the World Bank in Washington DC.
N.Enkhbayar graduated Mongolian State
University of Agriculture with a Bachelor’s in Economics. He joined the
Mongolian Ministry of Finance in 2002 and worked as specialist, senior analyst
and became deputy director of budget policy. He left the Ministry of
Finance after 16 years for further study abroad.
He won a scholarship from the International
Monetary Fund and went to Japan to study Government Public Finance Policy.
Until 2011, he worked as an advisor to the Prime Minister of Mongolia for three
years and later went to the US to work at the World Bank as an advisor to an
executive director. N.Enkhbayar’s contract has expired since the time of this
interview, which took place in July.
What has been the attitude like towards
Mongolia from the World Bank Group? What kind of experiences and knowledge have
you had so far?
For the past
years, the International Financial Corporation has expanded well. It has solved
annual USD 100 million financing, mainly for private sector, particularly in
banking, finance, construction installation, infrastructure, hotel, and trade.
For the World Bank, it mostly offers technical assistance and soft loans
dedicated to social development such as poverty, education, health, and the
environment.
The major
change to emerge within the past year is that Mongolia’s statistics now
determine it as a middle-income country, since the World Bank revised its
analytical classification of the world’s economies based on estimates of gross
national income in 2012. Before then, Mongolia used to get only development
assistance as it was a low-income country. The International Development Association
issued soft loans under a long-term or 40 years agreement to Mongolia. But the
updated classification does not mean direct credit rate change. Mongolia must
gradually move from a development-assistance country to a lender country. This
transition will happen not in a year but within a three-to-four year period.
Currently,
Mongolia’s status is classified as a ‘blend’ category. In other words, it means
that Mongolia is still a country that takes development assistance. On the
other hand, the new classification gives access to Mongolia to take loans under
commercial terms for the first time. For instance, in addition to technical
assistance, the blend category allows the condition to take commercial loans
for certain big projects within a shorter term, between 15-20 years. But it has
a higher interest rate than aid. IBRD loan is a commercial loan with many
alternative structure and scheme, and loan interest to be calculated by the
following methodology “LIBOR+0.6 to 1.3%” depending on the market condition.
However, compared to the loans of commercial banks, this loan has a much lower
interest rate and offers conditions that are more flexible. Thus, it is a great
opportunity for a country like Mongolia that has a number of
development issues.
Now that Mongolia has access to loans with
better terms, this must be a good opportunity for policymakers?
This credit
permit was just given to Mongolia because it has not been long since Mongolia
was categorized in the above classification. To give credit permit, the World
Bank approves three-to-five years of partnership strategy. We had this document
delivered at the Directors’ board meeting and renewed in 2013. By then, the
World Bank approved priorities of partnership with Mongolia until 2017. The
World Bank financial year does not match the calendar year. The 30th of June is
the time when the financial year ends, starts another from the next month. The
World Bank 2015 financial year started July first. This means that Mongolia has
already acquired the right to obtain commercial loans from the International
Financial Corporation. However, it takes another two-to-three years to choose
and discuss about a project as well as have the related documents prepared.
It’s still not that easy.
What’s your perspective as you assess
Mongolia’s economy from the World Bank headquarters in the US?
The
international market has a direct impact on Mongolia, which exports 98-99
percent of all raw materials. For a country with a mining-based economy,
accompanied by a weak development of industry is connected with the foreign
market in many ways. Currently, commodities’ prices on the international
markets are falling. According to international analysts, major metals’ prices
are not expected to rise in the next two to three years which won’t bring any
good to Mongolia. We don’t need to get excited about the rise of commodities.
Thus, we should only rely on appropriate foreign trade policy within two
neighbors as we get foreign currencies and flow from foreign trade. In the long
term, the most efficient policy is to diversify the economy.
What other opportunities need to be
explored for the benefit of Mongolia’s economy?
Recent studies
talk a lot about second deficits. The monetary policy is in a hard situation,
while the budget and the foreign trade both have a deficit. There is no way out
of foreign currency appreciation in this case. Taking precautionary measures
are very important. You can earn and save money when the mining sector rises.
But now when the mining sector sees a fall, there is no money. Thus, it’s
necessary to look at which sector generates growth and which one creates the
balance. We’ve forgotten some sectors. If it’s real national policy, you cannot
just keep your eyes in one direction in only mining and infrastructure. Especially
at a time when the economy stays slow, it’s important to promote subsequent
sectors retaining jobs. For instance, agriculture is the major sector that
holds an economy in any crisis time by preventing food shortage and pressures
on people’s backs. What will happen if the agriculture sector which solves
public food needs sees a downturn? You need to hold up the base sector which
prevents a fall rather than only looking at mining.
International Monetary Fund analysts
visited Mongolia and asked policymakers to revisit their economic policies.
What exactly did they advise?
Recently, the
International Monetary Fund handed an analysis about Mongolia’s foreign debt to
the World Bank. Annual Debt Sustainability Analysis brought up major
indications of macroeconomic policy. Not only Monetary Policy, but also debt of
Mongolia has become an issue to worry about. Quite some time passed since
economic policies brought inconvenient consequences. It’s been almost a year
since international organizations delivered their recommendations to Mongolia.
But today, problems have not calmed. It means that current difficulties will
deepen. I assume the IMF told Mongolia that it may see a bigger fall unless
policymakers revise the past two years of economic policies. Those are the main
signals given by the international financial institutions. Now we have to
listen it and act immediately.
Mongolian
and North Korean Parliamentarians Discussed on Joint Exploitation of Rason
Special Economic Zone
October 2
(infomongolia.com) Mongolian delegates led by Deputy Speaker of the State Great
Khural (Parliament) R.Gonchigdorj have conducted a working visit to the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea on September 27-30, 2014.
During the
visit Mongolian parliamentarians were received by the Chairman of the Presidium
of the Supreme People's Assembly Kim Yong-nam and held bilateral meeting with
the Deputy Chairman of the Supreme People’s Assembly Ahn Dongchun, who was
invited to visit Mongolia at his convenient time.
The bilateral
meeting was held in a warm atmosphere, where parties discussed on joint
exploitation of the Rason Special Economic Zone of North Korea in order to open
a sea-outlet for Mongolia, besides exchanged views to broaden collaboration in
other sectors including agricultural as well as cooperation in regional and
international spheres.
Mongolian
delegates comprised of MP D.Ganbat, MP O.Baasankhuu, MP M.Batchimeg, MP
O.Sodbileg and other officials were introduced with a popular tourist
destination of Wonsan, Songdowon International Children's Camp in Wonsan,
National Academy and Institute of Koryo Medicine, Pyongyang Maternity Hospital
and Okryu Children's Hospital in Pyongyang.
Ulaanbaatar
and Moscow Agreed to Sign Cooperation Program for 2015 - 2017
October 2
(infomongolia.com) It was previously reported that Mongolian delegates led by
Mayor of Ulaanbaatar E.Bat-Uul are conducting working visits to London and
Moscow these days.
So on October
01, 2014, Governor of the Capital City and Mayor of Ulaanbaatar, Erdene BAT-UUL
held a bilateral meeting with the Mayor of Moscow Sergey Semyonovich Sobyanin,
where Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Russian
Federation, Sh.Altangerel was also present.
During the
talks, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin noted that the history of friendly relations
between Moscow and Ulaanbaatar has more than half a century, and has also
expressed his interest in strengthening partnerships between the cities.
At the meeting,
the two Governors discussed the prospects of broadening bilateral cooperation
and agreed on the drafting and signing of the Cooperation Program for 2015 -
2017 between the Moscow and Ulaanbaatar Municipalities.
The priorities
of cooperation will focus on trade and economic ties. In particular, Sergey
Sobyanin proposed Mongolian agricultural producers with an opportunity to
actively enter the consumer market of the Russian capital. These primarily
include livestock products. An agreement between Moscow distribution companies
and Mongolian agricultural producers will be signed in the near future as
negotiated.
Moreover,
Mayors S.Sobyanin and E.Bat-Uul have agreed that the main areas of cooperation
between the two capitals will be the exchange of experience and joint projects
in urban development, housing and utilities, health care, education, culture
and other spheres.
Afterwards,
Mayor E.Bat-Uul thanked his counterpart for the warm welcome and invited Mayor
S.Sobyanin to visit Ulaanbaatar at his convenient time.
Fire
at Shangri-La Hotel raises questions about emergency services in Ulaanbaatar
By M. Zoljargal
October 2 (UB
Post) The fire which broke out on Tuesday afternoon at the 24-story Shangri-La
Hotel proved the urgent need to improve the resources of fire departments in
Ulaanbaatar.
It took nearly
40 firefighters almost two hours to extinguish the fire, using six fire trucks
lacking ladders tall enough to reach the higher floors of the building.
There were 23
people stuck on the roof of the building and fire fighters helped them exit the
building safely. No injuries were reported.
The building’s
seventh floor is believed to be where the fire began, which quickly spread to
other floors, leaving most of the building’s facade burnt.
“The fire was
caused by electrical problems according to a preliminary investigation.
Firefighters couldn’t reach the top floors, as our fire truck tower ladders are
only 35 meters tall and could only reach the 12th floor with high-pressure
water hoses,” T.Dulamdorj, Chief of National Emergency Management Agency, told
journalists at the scene.
“The city
administration should definitely take this issue into consideration and secure
helicopters for fires occurring in tall buildings similar to this, as this case
clearly proved a shortage of required facilities and equipment for a city with
a growing number of tall buildings,” added the chief.
The building
was at 80 percent completion and scheduled to open in December. However, Chief
Dulamdorj suggested that the material used for the facade was very flammable
and caused the fire to spread quickly. He assured that information will be
provided about whether or not the material had passed the standard tests
required by local emergency and safety organizations.
A final
assessment of the fire will be provided within five business days according to
Chief Dulamdorj.
L.Bold
discusses issues facing LLDCs at UN General Assembly
By Ch. Khaliun
October 2 (UB
Post) Minister of Foreign Affairs L.Bold took part in the 13th meeting of
ministers of landlocked developing countries (LLDCs), held during the 69th
session of the U.N. General Assembly.
The ministers met to discuss the challenges and problems LLDCs face and ways to approach gaining the cooperation and support needed from the international community.
The ministers met to discuss the challenges and problems LLDCs face and ways to approach gaining the cooperation and support needed from the international community.
As a landlocked
developing country, Mongolia has initiated a number of projects within the U.N.
and World Trade Organization in order to attract international interest in
enhancing the competitiveness of LLDCs. Last year, Mongolia initiated and set
up the LLDCs Think Tank in Ulaanbaatar, charged with conducting pertinent
surveys and research, and issuing policy recommendations. Mongolia will
continue working toward the development of the LLDCs Think Tank into an
official U.N. system organization, Minister L.Bold stated.
The Minister
held a meeting with Gyan Chandra Acharya, Under-Secretary-General and High
Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing
Countries and Small Island Developing States, to discuss collaboration.
Minister L.Bold
thanked Gyan Chandra Acharya for providing support in hosting the high-level
international workshop “WTO Agreement on Trade Facilitation: Implications for
LLDCs” in Ulaanbaatar, and for his personal participation in it.
Acharya
re-affirmed that the Prime Minister of Mongolia is invited to the second U.N.
Conference on LLDCs to take place in Vienna in November 2014.
“Mongolia is
ready to expand its cooperation with the international community in the
peacekeeping mission area,” L.Bold stated, addressing conferences and events on
the pertinent topic.
L.Bold attended
a ministerial dinner on “Strengthening the Partnership: A Fresh Dialogue on
U.N. Peacekeeping,” held on September 25, and a summit on international
peacekeeping operations.
Afterwards, Minister L.Bold participated in an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Meeting, and addressed the developments in Ukraine and the seventh Ministerial Meeting on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
Afterwards, Minister L.Bold participated in an Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Ministerial Meeting, and addressed the developments in Ukraine and the seventh Ministerial Meeting on the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.
Minister L.Bold
had a meeting with the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
(CTBTO) Executive Secretary, Lassina Zerbo. Zerbo welcomed Mongolia’s
initiatives on the Ulaanbaatar Dialogue on Northeast Asian Security and the
nuclear-free status of Mongolia, and noted that the CTBTO is interested in
organizing a regional workshop in Ulaanbaatar with the Mongolian government.
NUM
students protest for fair administrative decisions and student’s rights
By M. Zoljargal
October 2 (UB
Post) A group of delegates from several student unions at the National
University of Mongolia (NUM) has protested against problems that have risen for
students due to recent university reforms.
The students
demonstrated in front of the Ministry of Education and Science on Monday and
demanded Minister L.Gantumur to resolve the issues as their previous demands to
the NUM administrations failed to initiate any action.
The ministry’s
Chief of Division for Higher Education, P.Erkhembulgan, received the demands
and promised to have it discussed at the NUM’s managing board meeting, which
was scheduled on Tuesday.
The students
reported that the university administration has failed to consider interests
and rights of students when it reformed the new rules, which are affecting
studies and students’ convenience.
First-year
students are studying according to a curriculum that hasn’t been approved by
the Ministry of Education and Science. Another problem is that many of the NUM
administrators are also teachers, which makes it hard for students to find and
meet the administrators to have their problems resolved.
Students are
facing financial losses as well due to faulty online student information system
of the NUM.
“NUM students choose and confirm their curriculum, teachers and classrooms at Sisi.num.edu.mn within a given time from the university administration. However, many students end up missing the deadline as the system website frequently freezes and are obligated to pay 11,400 MNT to choose their curriculum after the deadline,” said Z.Otgonzaya, deputy head of the NUM Student Union and Student Congress.
“NUM students choose and confirm their curriculum, teachers and classrooms at Sisi.num.edu.mn within a given time from the university administration. However, many students end up missing the deadline as the system website frequently freezes and are obligated to pay 11,400 MNT to choose their curriculum after the deadline,” said Z.Otgonzaya, deputy head of the NUM Student Union and Student Congress.
The reform
caused a problem for both students willing to stay in dormitory this academic
year and the university finance, explained the student delegates.
A merged
academic management office of the NUM became responsible for dormitory
registration and supply following the reform. However, the students complained
that the registration system has become bureaucratic with too many stages to
pass since the merge.
A total of 250
beds are vacant at the NUM dormitory after a month since the new academic year
started and the NUM is running an approximately 100 million MNT deficit because
of it, reported student representatives.
NUM teachers
demand dismissal of Director A.Galtbayar
Teachers of the
NUM has reported to journalists about their demand to dismiss the NUM’s
Director A.Galtbayar from his position as they believe the university reform is
violating the Budget Law, Higher Education Law as well as other related
regulations.
The teachers
have handed their demand to Minister L.Gantumur and said that if it is not
addressed, they will present it to the Prime Minister. The teachers held a
press conference on Monday, on the same day as the student protests.
They criticized
that the director simply reshuffled the university officials in the name of
reform and is operating the university without comprehensive policies that are
based on proposals of staff and surveys conducted by teachers and students.
The teachers
revealed that a survey has been taken where 80 percent of the NUM teachers
opposed the reform, which wasn’t considered by A.Galtbayar.
About the
unapproved curriculum for the first-year students, teachers said that students
are forced to restudy what they have learned in general education schools.
“First-year
students are restudying the same subjects they passed in general education
schools at the NUM, paying course credit payments. These students will choose
their major from the next academic year, but each program is accepting only 25
to 30 student according to grade records. Students might not have a chance to
choose their intended major due to this reformed system,” said B.Bold-Erdene,
Head of Association of the NUM Teachers.
Ulaanbaatar
public transportation restructure starts
October 2 (UB
Post) Ulaanbaatar City Authority ran a 10
day trial in late August to boost service quality and sufficiency of public
transportation in Mongolia. During these 10 days, buses in Ulaanbaatar operated
on a shortened route which was followed by widespread criticism from the
public.
Deputy Ulaanbaatar Governor N.Gantumur spoke
to Undernii Shuudan about traffic congestion and public transportation issues
in the capital city.
You were talking about merging state owned
BUS-1, BUS-2 and Tsakhilgaan Teever public transportation companies during the
meeting of city administrations. How effective do you think this will be?
There were many
companies in city development and road user companies before, and these
companies were merged into Ulaanbaatar Corporation. This work was performed
effectively and one of the things that prove it is the green area development
which has increased in the city significantly.
Such as these,
we are going to merge public transportation companies and make it a
comprehensive and unified system.
Before we
merged the companies, we have studied experiences of developed countries and
conducted surveys. I hope that merging bus companies will be quite an effective
work. We will organize the system starting from October 1.
When will the new smart bus system launch?
The smart
transportation or electronic system will be put into action from next April 1.
Thus, Mongolian transportation system will meet the world standard. In relation
to this project, buses will operate on shortened routes, because we have
concluded that the public was satisfied with the 10 day experiment. Many people
supported this project and the main reason was the 500 MNT day ticket.
Even though most were satisfied with the
work, it brought losses. Will you continue the system regardless?
It is true that
we had losses. But people have to understand that this was just an experiment.
In other word, even though there are financial losses, the experiment was successful.
Also,
introduction and promotion of the project to the public was insufficient, so we
have to work on this intensively.
Will there be any increase in bus ticket
price, which was 500 MNT during the trial?
The ticket
price will be increased but we will try to make it flexible.
What do you mean by flexible? Could
you clarify that?
When we
transfer into an electronic system, there will be different options for ticket
price. There will be a general set service. For example: family set and etc.
Thus, we will work without losses.
University and college students travel in
public transportation for free but students of general education schools pay
200 MNT. Since you are already reforming public transportation, shouldn’t
general education school students also travel for free?
This issue has
to be resolved within the law. The law states students can travel for free so
this issue has to be discussed by Parliament.
One of the problems we often face is the
road issue. Roads are being built in several directions. How many roads will
open before winter?
By September
30, roads in Nisekh and Yarmag will be ready to use, Bayankhoshuu Avenue road
is expected to launch by October 30. Bio-Nisekh road will open in November.
In total, 72
kms of roads will open.
What’s planned for the road sector next
year?
We have planned
to restructure many roads next year, especially roads in Tolgoit, the road to
Zuslan and a big repair work from Bayanzurkh Checkpoint to Nalaikh District.
It has been a long time since the Street
Project’s launch. In relation to this, four-way intersections were built in
many roads. Will the project continue in the future?
We can’t give
answers on this because the project is organized by the government and
ministries. But the Street Project is essential in Mongolia because it will
decrease traffic congestions considerably.
The railbus has started operating last
June. It seems to be rather unprofitable. How will you reduce losses?
Approximately
40 to 100 people travel by railbus per day. In order to serve as many as we
can, we have to build railways in different directions. In other word,
automobiles and railbuses will be operating on the same level. This will
increase passengers.
J.Chinburen:
Alcohol, virus and improper diet is killing Mongolians’ liver
October 2 (UB
Post) Dr. J.Chinburen, Head of the Liver,
Bile Duct and Pancreatic Surgery Department at the National Cancer Center (NCC)
of Mongolia, gave an interview about liver diseases in Mongolia.
Liver cancer has become a silent epidemic
among Mongolians. What percentage of the total patients in Mongolia is affected
by liver cancer?
Expansion
construction of the NCC hasn’t been ongoing for four years. It’s
unfortunate that 40 percent of cancer patients are affected by liver cancer.
Some 1,800 people are diagnosed with liver cancer, which is six times more than
the world average index for liver cancer. Around 3,600 people are already
affected.
I get
embarrassed of this statistic whenever I have to show a presentation at major
international summits and conferences. People at the conference are shocked by
Mongolia’s liver cancer rate and inquire as to why politicians aren’t
developing or executing any policies to prevent it. Though I want to answer,
I’m left speechless. Mongolian politicians should look at issues from a broad
perspective. For instance, the Mongolian government is spending three to four
billion MNT to resolve issues of four to five people. Instead, why can’t they
use that money to finish the construction work of the NCC? Since I’m a doctor,
my foremost urgent worry is this. I’m no politician. I don’t see things from
their perspectives. This is reality.
From Mongolia, how many people travel
abroad to get liver transplantation a year?
On average,
around 1,300 Mongolians go to a Korean hospital for treatment a year. Mongolian
patients mostly visit Anam Hospital of Korea University. They pay a billion KRW
in discounted prices at this hospital. Research shows that majority of Mongolian
patients seek treatment from this hospital.
Why is the rate of liver cancer so high in
Mongolia?
It’s a cancer
that originated due to health system error at a certain period. Our seniors
know this very well. People used to reuse injections on different people after
boiling them. They used to reinsert needles into people even those that were
crooked. Physicians used to conduct traditional acupuncture improperly. They
cleaned needles with spirit which spread C virus to many people. In the 1960s
and 1970s, Hepititis A virus from germs spread widely.
This type of
virus can be cured. At the time, A virus spread rapidly due to a flood that
overfilled houses and wells with dirty water and broke out Hepatitis virus and
infections. According to statistics of the time, a certain survey indicated
that some 70 percent of the total population was infected with Hepatitis.
Infected people were treated in hospitals and received injections but B virus
was transmitted through the injections. Currently, when survey is conducted on
people with B virus, they say they got jaundice twice. They say they got
infected again few months after receiving treatment. This means that B virus
was transmitted to them when they were getting injections at hospitals.
If older people
are infected with B virus, the chances of them suffering from chronic infection
is five percent. However, if it’s treated it can be cured. The infection
becomes chronic if children aged five or under are infected. It’s important for
pregnant women with Hepatitis B or C to not transmit the virus to their child.
Mongolia is executing antenatal care and public health work excellently.
During the
previous government, especially Former Minister of Health S.Lambaa did many
works for the health sector. Even investments were sufficient. Perhaps
Mongolia’s economy was good at the time. Works were conducted well from all
sides. At the time, many works were implemented for public health and projects
and programs, including Tuberculosis Program, were executed efficiently.
Hepatitis B and
C are more severe than HIV. Although Mongolia worked well for the public
health, it does nothing for medical aid and lags at everything. For example,
pregnant women must be tested for Hepatitis B and C. Many tests must be
conducted on the child if the mother is infected. Doctors provide many advices
but whether patients actually do as they are advised is unclear.
Due to poor
medical aid and services, Mongolia is facing many problems. It’s already the
21th century but why are some mothers delivering their baby on the floor? Seven
years have passed since the initiation to build a dental center. All of these
factors are increasing diseases.
What do you think about the government
enforcing policy for resolving this issue?
Vaccination for
B virus has been conducted efficiently since 1990. Since 1991, probability of
new born babies becoming infected with B virus became low. This applies to
children who didn’t have cancer through mother-child transmission. C virus was
common when donated blood wasn’t tested for B and C viruses. This was a
systematic error.
The government
must develop policies and take measures to improve health of those who suffered
from systematic errors. Free of charge projects and programs should be issued
for this area.
Liver cancer is
common in Mongolia because B and C viruses aren’t treated or cured. If cancer
infected patients are provided with medical care, people will not get serious
diseases of liver cirrhosis. If there isn’t cirrhosis, there will not be
cancer.
Strategically,
B and C viruses should be treated.
Lately, the Ministry of Health is
partnering and discussing with NGOs on importing medications for treating liver
viruses with low costs. How significant is this?
They are
discussing about importing medications against liver viruses to Mongolia and
establishing agreements to provide medications with cheaper prices with
producer companies. This specific medication is sold for 80,000 USD in the USA,
60,000 USD in England and for over 50,000 USD in France. This is the cost of a
course treatment for a year. It’s an excellent newly produced medicine with 90
percent effectiveness. Around 12.5 percent of Mongolia’s population is infected
with Hepatitis C. If we say that this percentage is accounted with Mongolia’s
population of almost three million people, 375,000 people have Hepatitis C.
Approximately
60 percent of these people require treatment, meaning that treatment issues for
over 200,000 people need to be resolved. The government will have made a huge
accomplishment if they can negotiate to import the liver cancer medication for
less than 20,000 USD. Deputy Minister of Health J.Amarsanaa, who’s discussing
this and cooperating with NGOs, is working very well. This work needs to be
executed but it’s taking too long. They’ve discussed it for a year. The
big government apparatus can be slow but health issues can’t. There’s too much
delay.
Other countries
are competing to providing their people with the world’s best medication but
Mongolia is still sticking to last century’s medication. Medication list of
approved drugs for Mongolia’s use is already out but we’re still not purchasing
them. Why can’t Mongolians use scientific achievements? Furthermore, Mongolia
doesn’t have any laboratory capable of analyzing medicines on their type.
Many people get liver transplantation each
year and a lot of money flows out to foreign countries. Is it possible to get
organ transplantation domestically?
Some 150
Mongolians get liver transplantation because of liver cirrhosis. From my
knowledge, 40 people got transplantation at an Indian hospital in the last six
years. Each patient had to pay at least 100 million MNT. The total cost of 40
patients would be at least four billion MNT. This huge amount of money went to
a foreign country.
Another related
issue is that a healthy person or relatives of the patient getting liver
transplantation is donating their liver. People face a serious issue for
settling transplantation surgery costs. They have to go through a difficult
process of selling their apartments and collecting money from relatives.
A national team
of surgeons was made to introduce liver transplantation surgery in Mongolia.
Only four to five surgeries are conducted a year by bringing Korean surgeons to
Mongolia. This is a very unfortunate and pitiful state. This year, fewer than
twenty people got liver transplantations in Mongolia. I’m dissatisfied with
this. The NCC cuts some 250 livers a year. We’re considerably experienced.
Success is just around the corner if surgeons work together.
My team and I are
passionate about performing liver transplantation by ourselves. When the
expansion construction for the NCC is completed, we plan to conduct liver
transplantation.
Source: Zuunii
Medee
Mongolian
chess players win World Youth Chess Championships
By B. Tungalag
October 2 (UB
Post) Mongolian chess player D.Munkhzul captured a gold medal in girls’ U8
category of the World Youth Chess Championships and Ye.Tugstumur won silver in
the boys’ U8 category.
Among 51
players in the girls U8 category, D.Munkhzul earned eight wins, one draw and
two defeats, and seized the gold with 8.5 points.
D.Munkhzul, who
is seven years old, is the youngest Mongolian chess player to have earned a
World Championship title.
Among 64
players in the U8 category, Asian champion and Candidate Master of FIDE
Ye.Tugstumur won silver medal after round 11, with eight wins and three draws.
The World Youth
Chess Championships took place in Durban, South Africa from September 20 to 29.
Over 1,000 boys and girls from 90 countries competed in this year’s
championships.
Darkhan-Uul
Province opens new puppet theater
By B. Baatar
October 2 (UB
Post) The opening ceremony of a puppet theater in Darkhan-Uul Province took
place at the Youth Theater on September 29.
The theater was
established within the frame of “Mongol Child” project, which was carried out
by Governor’s Office of Darkhan-Uul Province and NGOs.
The puppet
theater has 77 seats and is equipped with all necessary audio and video
facilities for theatrical productions. Currently around 15 people are working
at the theater, including professional artists.
The puppet
theater was first established in 1992 but was closed after three years due to
financial issues.
SOS
Smile delivers healing happiness to UB hospitals
October 2 (UB
Post) Have you heard of hospital clowning? It’s a new approach to patient care
in UB children’s hospitals. When one imagines clowns, a circus typically comes
to mind, but hospital clowns have been brought to the 10th complex of
Bayanzurkh District by SOS Smile.
Hospital
clowning seems to be such a nice job, one which gives happiness and peace to
young patients who are suffering from illnesses and undergoing long hospital
stays.
SOS Smile’s
hospital clowns, better known as “clown doctors”, are youth volunteers. They
were blowing colorful balloons and joking at the entrance hall of the 10th
complex nursing kindergarten, when Undesnii Shuudan arrived to interview them.
A volunteer
clown doctor and student of the Polytechnical College of Mongolia and Korea,
U.Purevsuren, said that she had asked leave from her lesson to come and
volunteer. She enjoys what she is doing and loves working with children.
A head of the
SOS Smile program, Berit Austen was wearing a dress with a big pink ribbon,
dressed like Minnie Mouse. Berit has worked as a clown doctor for 10
years at a hospital in Denmark. She says she enjoys the work in Mongolia and
that children’s laughter makes her happy.
Children seem
to forget their illness when they see colorful balloons in the hospital halls
and funny clowns. Some seem timid at first, but soon they are playing with toys
brought by the volunteers.
One
seven-year-old boy was crying and afraid of getting injections, but with the
arrival of the clown doctors, he was busy playing with toys without a single
teardrop in his eyes.
Clown doctor and social worker of the
National Center for Maternal and Child Health, N.Erdenechimeg, spoke about
the program and how the work of Clown Doctors is made possible.
Making someone happy, especially a child,
is a great job. Many people can’t do this kind of work. How did you come
upon the idea for hospital clowning?
Clown doctors
from a hospital in Denmark visited the National Center for Maternal and
Children’s Health in 2012. We requested cooperation and conducted clown
training, and volunteers joined our cause. We have been performing since
September 2013.
Currently, 12
people are volunteering together. More than just being circus clowns, we strive
for donating happiness to little patients who are fighting to overcome disease.
Can people call to have you visit a
specific hospital?
Precisely, we
are community that tries to give positive energy to disabled and hospitalized
children. We have rules and regulations to follow for communicating with
children and working in hospitals.
Our community
is non-profit so we do not charge a fee. Our program is financed by the SOS
Smile program, including clothes, appliances and toys.
How much time was spent establishing your
program?
We advertised
online. Now, we have 12 volunteers, including teachers, students,
psychologists, social workers, businesspeople, and retirees. We meet once in a
month and discuss activities for the following month. Even though we are
employed with other jobs besides being clown doctors, we ask for time off from
our jobs and schools to make children happy.
How many places have you visited?
We have been
offering our services for the last 10 months. We organize meetings with
children and youth and delivered smiles to the National Center for Maternal and
Child Health, the National Trauma and Orthopedic Research Center, and the
Central Infant Sanatorium.
If someone
makes a request, we are ready to help them for free. Our people are trying
their best to make children happy.
Source:
Undesnii Shuudan
Seniors
celebrated at Mongolian National Art Gallery
October 2 (UB
Post) Celebrating the International Day of Older Persons, the Mongolian
National Art Gallery and Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism organized an
exhibition featuring over 60 creations by 50 artists on view through October 5.
In 1990, the
United Nations General Assembly designated October 1 the International Day of
Older Persons. In 1992, the Government of Mongolia designated October 1 the
Mongolian Day of Older Persons. The theme of this year’s 24th commemoration of
the International Day of Older Persons is “Leaving No One Behind: Promoting a
Society for All”.
Older people
can set great examples for the youth, as they contributed to the development of
the country. The population of Mongolia has grown to 2.9 million, and 10
percent of the population are older people.
The painting
“Buteeliin Hiid”, by an artist named Batjargal, touched my heart. In it, a
woman is depicted as a goddess we may imagine in Buddhism. Staring at that
painting, I experienced the physical and inner beauty of the subject. The
artist’s portrayal of her as a goddess sheds light on his view of the strength
of women.
I also admired
a painting called “Summer”, by the artist Tsagaanderem. Looking at it made me
feel like I was in the countryside, staring at a beautiful landscape. Whenever
I visit natural places in my country, I feel like I get energy from them. In
the gallery, I obtained that same energy just simply by staring at a masterful
painting.
I recommend
that everyone visit this art exhibition. The creations are very simple, but
give people a strong feeling from the beauty that lies within them.
"UB
Dialogue" book published
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Institute of
Strategic Studies have published a book about the first international
scientific conference of the "Ulaanbaatar Dialogue on Northeast Asian
security", which ran this June 17-18 in Ulaanbaatar.
The book's
presentation took place on Wednesday in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This
international measure had run in several phases under concrete topics, it has
discussed 21 reports. Present had been 35 scholars and researchers from
Northeast Asian countries (Mongolia, China, Japan, South Korea, North Korea and
Russia), also from the USA, the Great Britain, Germany and the Netherlands. The
gathered had considered that Mongolia has sufficient potential and a reputation
to organize the Dialogue on urgent issues of the Northeast Asian region, and
had agreed to host this conference every year.
Turkish
Ambassador visits elders in Tuv aimag
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of
Republic of Turkey to Mongolia Mr Murat Karagoz visited Thursday an elders
center in Tuv aimag.
The tour was
dedicated to the international Day of Older Persons and upcoming Turkish Eid
al-Adha (Festival of the sacrifices). The Ambassador shared opinions with the
center's director Tumurchudur on professional trainings and possible aid from
Turkey on expert exchange, and gave presents to some 120 elders. Addressing
them he said," An old age is an important part of life which carries
different meanings for everyone. The elders are honored people as they are a
bridge from 'yesterday' to 'today', passing the culture and traditions to
younger generations". Then he expressed a hope that his tribute for the
elders would bring them "happiness and faith in life".
Premier's
proposals go further
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) The Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag called a press conference
on a new structure of the government offered by the amendment.
In addition to
creating 13 Ministries out of existing 16 in order to avoid a duplication of
some directions, he said the new cabinet will have the First Deputy Premier and
the Deputy Prime Minister. The Minister of foreign affairs is to act as the
Deputy PM in order to expand the external cooperation, enrich the foreign ties
with economic contents, widen the economic relations with the neighbour and
other countries, and to arrange the inter-Ministry collaboration. Duties of the
current Deputy PM will be transferred to the First Deputy Premier, Altankhuyag
said.
Some duties
will go to other agencies and Ministries, he went on. For example, the Deputy
Premier and Foreign Ministry will be in charge of external trade, foreign
investments and external economic cooperation, while the Ministry of Finance will
regulate affairs of general policy on credit and assistance, a development of
economic free zone, concession, the partnership policy between the state and
private sector and actions against air pollution. These matters are currently
related to the Ministry of Economic Development.
About
forum "Monetary and financial relations of Mongolia and China”
By N. Khaliun
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) The first forum themed as such took place on September 30
in the “Agreement” hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mongolia.
It was
organized by Mongolia's Academy of Sciences, the Institute for International
studies and the Chinese Central University of Finance and Economics. Opening
remarks made O.Chuluunbat, Vice Minister of Economic Development, vice
president of the Academy of Sciences T.Dorj and a trade advisor of Chinese
embassy in Mongolia.
The Forum
brought together more than one hundred representatives of Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, the Ministry of Economic Development, Mongolian Stock Exchange, Trade
and Development Bank, the media, scientists and researchers from the two
countries.
Reports were
given by a senior economist the Monetary Policy and Economic Analysis
Department of Mongolbank B.Bayardavaa “An implementation of monetary policy in
Mongolia and "Monetary and financial relations of Mongolia and
China”, Doctor of Economic Sciences, Professor of Chinese Central University of
Finance and Economics “A macro level dynamics of China’s stock market”.
After that,
there were discussions on topics such as “The current state of monetary and
financial relations between Mongolia and China, their prospects”, “A reform in
System of International Reserves, internationalization of the Yuan” and
“Cooperation of the Trade and Development Bank of Mongolia with Chinese banks”.
Khanbogd
honours senior Oyu Tolgoi employees with honourary citizenships
October 2 (Oyu
Tolgoi) Khanbogd, Mongolia – Three of Oyu Tolgoi’s senior employees have been
presented with honourary citizenships by the people of Khanbogd.
Last Friday,
during the Khanbogd Market fair, Ivan Vella, Oyu Tolgoi’s Chief Operating
Officer, D.Garamjav, Chief Geologist, and T.Munkhbat, Deputy Director of
Resource Strategy and Innovation, were presented with the awards to mark their
contributions to the development of the soum.
D.Garamjav and
T.Munkhbat were part of the original exploration teams at Oyu Tolgoi, while
Ivan Vella has been with the business since 2011 and is a regular visitor to
the Khanbogd soum centre as part of his overall responsibility for managing the
Oyu Tolgoi site.
Ivan Vella
said: “This is a huge and humbling honour for me, and for everyone within the
Oyu Tolgoi family. Khanbogd is my home and I will take this honour with me
wherever I may go in the future. The people of Khanbogd have consistently acted
as wise counsel to our business, helping us to plan our development in a way
which can bring benefits for the whole community and make us into the
successful and sustainable business we are today.
“We will
continue to work closely with the local community to maintain our trusted
partnership and ensure the value of the mine is felt by everyone.”
Chairman of the
Citizen’s Representative Council of Khanbogd soum, Mr. Kh.Nekhiit said
"The management of Oyu Tolgoi is strongly focused on cooperating with our
soum.
“Ivan Vella,who
previously managed Oyu Tolgoi’s Procurement department, has done a lot to
strengthen the local supply chain and develop our economy. Today, he manages
the mine site and helped us to establish Galba park and celebrate the soum’s
anniversary. On behalf of the local community, the Citizen’s Representative
Council awarded him the title Honourary citizen of Khanbogd soum.
“I believe that
cooperation and partnership between the company and our soum will expand further,
for the benefit of all.”
The full title
of the honours bestowed is: “declaration of honourary citizenship of Khanbogd
for great accomplishments, for the sake of development and people, that have
left bright imprints in our soum history”.
US
embassy reports
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) Staff of the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID), Mongolian partners, and Mongolian counterparts joined
Tuesday the US Ambassador to Mongolia Ms Campbell to reflect on and celebrate
more than two decades of U.S. assistance to, and partnership with, the
Mongolian people.
Since 1991,
USAID assistance, valued at over USD 230 million, has helped Mongolia through
the initial years of its economic independence. USAID launched its first
program in Mongolia with a grant to provide emergency assistance to the
country's power plants, with other early activities focusing on emergency food
supply, economic reform, and advancing civil society. Over time USAID provided
further support for infrastructure, economic and judicial reform, public
financial management, and development of a market economy. In recent years,
USAID assistance has focused on supporting Mongolia's long-term, sustainable
development by strengthening governance and building an enabling environment
for business and economic growth.
U.S. Government
assistance has been in near constant transition to meet Mongolia's needs as the
country has grown and strengthened as an independent nation. In support of
Mongolia's own goals, U.S. assistance objectives in Mongolia remain a
strengthened democratic society, a productive market economy, and a government
that provides for the welfare of its people. The Embassy, representing
several of the varied U.S. Government agencies that provide international
assistance, is moving towards a commercial and development partnership, and the
Embassy will continue to support activities that contribute to these
objectives.
At the same
time, Mongolia also made significant strides in its democratic development as
underscored by transparent and peaceful local and national elections.
Over the years, Mongolia has shown strong economic growth and commitment to
democracy. Mongolia's success makes it a model to countries in the region
that embrace democratic values and are tackling complex social transitions and
economic challenges, and this success suggests Mongolia is on the path to move
toward graduation as a donor recipient country.
In recognition
of way that the U.S.-Mongolia relationship is evolving from that of
donor/recipient relationship to a commercial and development partner,
Ambassador Campbell announced that USAID in Mongolia will make another
transition. USAID's presence is being changed from that of the USAID
Representative Office to that of a single USAID Development Adviser.
This decision
is a vote of confidence in Mongolia and an acknowledgement of the tremendous
progress it has made. Ambassador Campbell remarked "We are very
proud of what the Government of Mongolia has accomplished in partnership with
USAID."
It is also
notable that while the USAID role in Mongolia is transitioning to a smaller presence,
other U.S. Government programs are not just remaining, but also growing.
As just one example, the U.S. Peace Corps program that provides volunteers in
rural areas and in Ulaanbaatar has nearly doubled the number of volunteers in
the last two years.
U.S. Government
resources, including USAID resources, will be focused on facilitating
private-sector business incubation, public-private partnerships, and
rule-of-law capacity building and institution strengthening. As Mongolia
matures, U.S. assistance and partnership will also continue to transition to
support our maturing relationship and to promote continued economic engagement.
The United States takes it role as Mongolia's "third neighbor" very
seriously and that is unchanging.
Month
begins to protect environment
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) The environmental protection campaign of 2014 announced on
Thursday, at the Ministry of Environment and Green development, the official
start of Month for environmental protection to run October 1-November 1.
Under a
"Water-Smart consumption-Rationale saving" logo, the action aims at
providing the public with correct information about Mongolia’s water reserves,
consumption and pollution, and at improving coherence between state policies
and their implementation, coordination of different sectors, as well as at
improving a cooperation of NGO’s, scholars, experts, and the public.
The campaign is
joined by the Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, Water Management
Authority, Ulaanbaatar Environmental Authority, Administration of Tuul river
bank, Environmental Measurement Laboratory, Center for Pure Water and
Environment Protection, and “Mongol Us” state-owned company, along with media.
Boxer
D.Otgondalai to compete for gold in Asian Games
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) An international master of sports and boxer of the
national selected team D.Otgondalai has been qualified to fight for gold medal
in the 17th Asian Games in Inchoen, South Korea.
Having a bye in
the first bout, Otgondalai beat opponents from Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan in
the preliminary rounds. In the semi-finals, he defeated a Japanese Olympic
bronze medallist Satoshi Shimizu on Thursday.
In the final
bout on Friday, he will fight with Charly Suarez, a rival from Philippines.
Related:
D.Otgondalai: I cannot afford to
lose now – UB Post, October 2
Ministry
of Mining receives feasibility study of major gasification plant
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) The Ministry of Mining received Thursday a preliminary
feasibility study from China's Sinopec company on a project of building a
brown-coal gasification plant to process 50-60 million tonnes of brown coal and
produce 15 billion cube meters of synthetic gas a year.
The project was
developed in frames of the discussion during the Prime Minister’s visit to
China in 2013, when he touched upon matters on processing brown coal, widely
spread in Mongolia, and producing coal products.
The estimated
cost of the project is USD 30 million. The project will commence a coal
processing in 2018. The executive team is planning to extract the brown coal
from several coal beds in Dundgovi and Dornogovi aimags.
Sinopek
Limited, also known as China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, is the biggest
state-owned oil company in China. To question "will be coal exported to
China unprocessed or be used in production of value-added product?" the
vice-minister of Mining O.Erdenebulgan replies that all works will be done in
Mongolia, "this project is to be much greater than Oyu Tolgoi in terms of
investments and production capacity".
The domestic
market will consume five percent of the annual 15 billiion tonnes gas, the rest
will be exported, according to the project.
Why
join APEC?
By D.
Jargalsaikhan
October 2
(Mongolian Economy) President Elbegdorj has repeatedly requested Russia and
China to support Mongolia in joining the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation
Forum (APEC). The requests were made during the recent presidential visits and
after the trilateral summit that took place in Dushanbe following the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization conference last week.
APEC was
established 25 years ago in response to the growing interdependence of
economies in the Asia-Pacific region. Currently, almost every country that has
a coastline on the Pacific Ocean is an APEC member. APEC has a total of 21
member countries, which are home to 2.8 billion people and account for
approximately 57 percent of global GDP and about 47 percent of world trade.
APEC is working
highly efficiently in promoting regional integration and their member countries
have been implementing carefully planned, step-by-step actions to reduce tariff
and non-tariff trade barriers upon mutual agreement. The member countries are
working to support open and free trade, promote investment, ensure alignment of
reforms in economic structure, and boost free exchange of people, goods, and
services.
In 1989, the
real GDP (PPP) per capita of APEC member countries was 7,969 USD, which doubled
in 2011 to reach 14,271 USD. In comparison, GDP per capita increased only by 30
percent from 5,857 to 7,678 USD in non-member economies in the same period of
time.
APEC conducts
its operations as a cooperative, multilateral economic and trade forum. In
order to open up its economy and promote economic growth, member economies
implement actions plans individually and collectively. The action plans and
their progress are proposed to and approved by Senior Officials Meeting,
Ministerial Meeting, and Economic Leaders’ Meeting.
Approximately
80 percent of Mongolia’s international trade and 80 percent of investment are
accounted for by APEC member countries. Besides Mongolia, about 10 other
countries such as India and Colombia applied for APEC membership many years
ago. However, APEC refused to greatly increase the number of member countries
in 1997 and stopped accepting new members for 10 years until 2010.
Currently,
Mongolia has expressed an interest to join APEC at all levels and has made
individual engagements with each member country for support. Mongolia has an
expectation that other countries would support our bid at the next APEC summit
to be held in Beijing next month providing that President of China initiates
discussions around our potential membership for the organization. However, it
is more likely for APEC to discuss about the timing and procedures of accepting
new members rather than talking about Mongolia. The main reason why many
countries are seeking APEC membership is that they have no choice but to boost
their trade and investment relations with neighboring countries and expand
their market in the globalizing world we find ourselves in. APEC provides the
opportunity for countries to conduct relations with their neighboring countries
based international norms rather than historic relations and conditions.
There is a
saying in the East – “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far,
go together.” Although Asia does not yet have the conditions for a union to be
formed as in Europe, countries have become keener on working together and
several organizations for regional cooperation have been established. APEC has
seen some success as a regional organization that has been working most
efficiently, utilizing the benefits of information technology, collectively
discussing common issues, and regulating their operations for alignment.
APEC leaders
had a meeting in 1994 in Bogor, Indonesia, and committed to achieve open and
free trade and investment in industrialized economies in the Asia-Pacific by
2010, and in developing economies by 2020. Every member country has been
reporting their progress ever since the Bogor meeting. Furthermore, member
countries have been making dozens of proposals and initiatives that are
actively supported by others. The initiatives include supporting small and
medium enterprises (SMEs) enter international value chain, promote cooperation
between universities, facilitating free movement of academics, ensuring food
safety, improving the quality of infrastructure, building capacity in infrastructure
development (e.g. member countries using the same connection when using
electric vehicle charging cable), supporting women entrepreneurs, developing
the internet economy, and operating e-training centers.
One might have
noticed that there is an APEC line at the customs areas of international
airports. Currently, more than 100,000 business delegates from APEC member
countries use an APEC business travel card (ABTC) to travel without visas to
member countries, which really helps the private sector.
By joining
regional integration and becoming a member of an organization like APEC,
Mongolia can expand its market and achieve sustainable economic development in
the long term. As our economic cooperation is expanded, we will face the need
to keep our traditional culture and heritage, and establish a product brand
based on our uniqueness.
Mongolia became
an associate member of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Committee (PECC), an
organization initiated by APEC, and acquired full membership in 2008. Through
this membership, Mongolia has the right to take part as observer in every
meeting or summit except for APEC summits.
Becoming an
APEC member will consolidate the conditions for Mongolia to conduct the
relations with the two big neighbors on international norms. Furthermore, APEC
membership will substantially support Mongolia’s public governance institutions
strengthen, prepare the workforce, and operate on international standards.
Also, it will greatly help our private sector expand their business operations
at regional level. This is why our president is seeking for APEC membership.
Project
starts on Mongolia’s network of managed resource protected areas
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) An inception workshop “Mongolia’s network of Managed
Resource Protected Areas” project to be implemented between 2013-2018 with
support of Global Environment Fund (GEF) and the United Nations Development
Programme at Ministry of Environment and Green Development of Mongolia was held
Thursday.
The inception
Workshop aims to define common understanding about expected outcome and goal of
the project among the main stakeholders which was followed by discussion of
existence legal environment for local protected areas, and revising of project
log frame. Around 80 representatives gathered at the workshop including
government, non-government agencies, international and development partners,
academia, research institution and community groups and shared their comments
and provided the recommendations.
Opening remarks
were made by D.Lundeejantsan MP; B.Tulga, the Vice Minister of Ministry of
Environment and Green Development; Sezin Sinanoglu, UNDP Resident
Representative; T. Erdenechimeg, National Project Director and Head of
Protected Areas Administration Department, Ministry of Environment.
Project pilot
areas are: Gulzat local protected area (LPA) (Sagil, Buhmurun soums of Uvs
province), Khavtgar LPA (Batshireet soum of Khentii province), Buffer zone of
Toson Khulstai National Park (Tsagaan Ovoo, Bayan Uul soums of Dornod province
and Norovlin soums of Khentii province) and the project will support the
transformation of community areas into centers of conservation excellence.
Further project
will promote process of identification, designation, and establishment of
improved management regimes and will assist in aimag and soum governments to
integrate protected areas management objectives in their planning processes and
efforts of each sites will be directed towards empowering rural communities to
alleviate threats identified during the project design phase.
“Mongolia’s
network of Managed Resource Protected Areas” project will contribute for
achieving MDG 1 to reduce poverty and MDG7 and ensuring environmental
sustainability, as well as advancement of human development sustaining the
integrity of Mongolia’s diverse ecosystems to secure the viability of the
nations’ globally significant biodiversity.
Ulaanbaatar
film festival approaches
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) The film festival will open October 8 at Tengis movie
theatre, aimed at contributing to the development of Mongolian film
industry, establishing international relations in this sector, presenting world
famous films.
This year’s
action will be run under four themes: “The World’s Best Films”, “Turkish Movie
Day”, “Day of Film Arts Foundation of Berlin International Film Festival”, and
“Mongol Kino (Mongolian Film) Program”. During the festival, award winning 12
films from film festivals of Cannes, berlin, Venice, Toronto, Goetheburg,
Tokyo, and San-Paulo will be presented, and opportunities to meet the artists
of the films will be available.
Ulaanbaatar
film festival’s line-up will include winner of over ten global prestigious
awards such as best-director award at 2013 Tokyo Festival and audience award at
2014 Gothenburg Festival “Of Horses and Men” by Benedict Erlingsson from
Iceland, 2013 Venice Festival audience award winner at “Beautiful Life” by Jean
Denizot from France, 2014 Cannes International Film Festival’s Best-Script
award winner “Leviathan” by Andrey Zvyagintsev the Russian famous director,
2013 Berlin festival’s “Silver Bear” award winner “Harmony Lessons” by Emir
Baygazin from Kazakhstan, 2014 Cannes Film Festival’s winner of four awards
“Warriors” by French director Thomas Kaley.
BoM:
Preliminary Balance of Payments for 2014
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) Current account deficit stands at USD 819.7 million which
is decrease of 62 percent from the previous year. This is triggered by USD
1318.0 million or 129 percent decrease in deficit of international trade
accounts of goods, thus showed surplus of USD 298.4 million.
Capital and
financial accounts showed surplus of USD 140.5 million which is decrease of 85
percent or USD 803.0 million from 2013. This is due to 60 percent decline of
foreign direct investment to Mongolia which equals to USD 926.4 million.
Hence, surplus
of portfolio investment had financed the deficit of other investment. Decreases
in other investment were caused by following factors: USD 266.7 million
increase of trade credit receivables, and decrease of USD 116.7 million on net
external loans.
Stock
exchange news for October 2
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
October 2 (MONTSAME) At the Stock Exchange trades on Thursday, a total of 151
thousand and 893 shares of 17 JSCs were traded costing MNT 59 million 888
thousand and 395.00.
"Hai Bi
Oil” /107 thousand and 719 units/, “Merex” /12 thousand and 529 units/,
“Remikon” /10 thousand and 042 units/, “Mongol shiltgeen” /7,970 units/ and
"Hermes center” /5,100 units/ were the most actively traded in terms of
trading volume, in terms of trading value were "Hai Bi Oil” (MNT 42
million 118 thousand and 129), "Mongol shiltgeen” (MNT four million 989
thousand and 220), “Gobi” (MNT two million 162 thousand and 700), "Talkh
chikher” (MNT two million and 160 thousand) and "Remikon” (MNT one million
305 thousand and 460).
The total
market capitalization was set at MNT one trillion 573 billion 249 million 454
thousand and 971. The Index of Top-20 JSCs was 15,669.30, decreasing 75.85
units or 0.48% against the previous day.
Students
in the U.S. cap Mongolia’s ‘brain-drain’
By B. Dulguun
October 2 (UB
Post) The first-ever Mongolian American Career Fair, organized for Mongolian
students studying abroad who are interested in pursuing careers in Mongolia,
will be held for two days in Chicago, Illinois, from October 11 to 12.
The Mongolian
American Career Fair is the first networking opportunity for both Mongolian
companies and students, organized by a group of Mongolian students who study
and work in the USA. These students represent various student and non-profit
organizations such as the Mongolian Association of State Alumni (MASA),
Mongolian Student Non-profit Organization in America (MSNOA), Association of
Mongolian Students in America (AMSA), Mongol Volunteer, and Human Prosperity.
The Ministry of Labor and Embassy of Mongolia in the USA are supporting and
cooperating with these young, active Mongolian students in organizing this
event.
According to
UNESCO statistics from 2012, 1,247 of approximately 10,000 Mongolian students
enrolled in higher education abroad were situated in the USA. The number of
Mongolians returning to Mongolia from overseas has grown in recent years, and
they’re striving towards improving Mongolia’s development. This fair may be a
big boost for Mongolia’s development, as it will provide Mongolians studying in
top American schools with information about internship opportunities in
Mongolia during their university years, and could lead to finding employment
after they graduate.
Ten companies
so far, including Khan Bank, Labor Exchange Central Office, Daily News and
Starcom MediaVest, will be presenting their internship and employment
opportunities at the event. A full list of participating companies is available
on Mongolian American Career Fair’s official website, careerfair.oyutan.org.
Attendees will
have the opportunity to review employer information, including products and
services, working conditions and open positions, learn more about their
organizations, be nterviewed by potential employers in person, and attend
workshops to build professional and job hunting skills.
The UB Post
spoke with a member of the organizing committee of the Mongolian American
Career Fair, Maralmaa Munkh-Achit, to learn more about the event and its
inspiration.
Can you tell
us who is sponsoring the Mongolian American Career Fair?
For
sponsorship, we are funded mostly by donations and registration fees from the
participating companies. There are also different levels of corporate
sponsorship that companies can choose from, and each one offers certain
advantages.
Are many
Mongolians residing in the USA interested in returning to Mongolia for work? Do
you get many hiring notices from employers in Mongolia?
The reason we
decided to organize this event in the first place is because we noticed that
many Mongolian students and young professionals are interested in returning to
Mongolia to work, but often don’t really know how to apply for careers or
network with companies. So we are hoping that this event will be the bridge
that will connect the two. It is not a secret that Mongolia needs a more
educated and skilled workforce, and we wanted to help the companies find their
prospective employees through this fair.
Is there a
particular industry looking for skilled and career-ready employees from the
USA? Which industries are most favored by Mongolians in the USA?
It is hard to
pick only one industry, but there are some popular industries such as business,
computer science, engineering, economics and finance that are more popular now.
Mongolian students in the U.S. are majoring in various fields, which is why we
think it is important for us to have as many companies as we can to help our
career fair participants.
How many
people have registered for the career fair so far?
We are
expecting about 200 students to come to the fair. Mostly, recent graduates or
undergraduates have registered so far. However, any Mongolian living in the
U.S. is welcome to come. The registration will continue until October 1.
How will the
career fair benefit Mongolians living in the USA and participating companies?
Through this
career fair, we want to end the “brain drain” that is happening to Mongolia.
Instead of losing our most brilliant professionals to other countries, we can
bring them back to their home country. For the participating companies, they
will have an opportunity to meet with the brightest students and professionals
living in the U.S. and recruit them for their company. As for the participating
individuals, this is a chance to “sell” yourself to the top Mongolian companies
and secure employment when you return to Mongolia.
I would also
like to encourage everyone who can to come and participate in this event. Not
only can you find your future company or employees at this fair, you can also
meet and network with fellow Mongolians.
You can
visit the official website,www.fair.oyutan.org, to get more
informationandregister for the career fair.
President
Ts.Elbegdorj speaks for Mongolia at UNGA
By Ch. Khaliun
October 2 (UB
Post) Mongolian President Ts.Elbegdorj delivered a statement at the General
Debate of the 69th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, sharing
Mongolia’s position on various global issues.
President
Elbegdorj touched upon the global issues of terrorist activities, the Ebola
crisis, the situation in Ukraine, and climate change. The President noted that
this session of the General Assembly has the important task of articulating a
post-2015 development agenda based on the legacy of the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs).
He emphasized
that Mongolia chose its development path 25 years ago – to embrace the rule of
law, democratic governance, a market economy and an open society, and now
Mongolia is sharing its democracy experience with Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and
Myanmar. He said, “Strengthening peace and stability in Northeast Asia is one
of our national security priorities,” and spoke about the “Ulaanbaatar
Dialogue” initiative.
President
Elbegdorj also raised issues related to United Nations Security Council reform.
He noted, “In a time of major geopolitical change, the U.N. system must reflect
new economic and political realities. We need to accelerate the reform process,
including the long-overdue expansion of Security Council membership in both
permanent and non-permanent categories.”
In addition to
the General Debate, Ts.Elbegdorj attended the Summit Debate on Prohibition of
the Death Penalty as one of three presidents invited as the event’s main
speakers. Deputy Secretary of the U.N. Jan Eliasson gave the opening speech,
emphasizing, “We should run stable operations to eliminate the death penalty.”
The U.N.’s High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Jordanian Prince Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, and
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi presented how important national leadership
is in the annihilation of the death penalty.
Prince Zeid
noted that the death penalty is an outdated conviction which can’t be followed
in the 21st century, and appealed to global leaders to take measurements to
stopping this punishment. He also underlined the importance of political
leadership in amending legislation and making decisive steps towards the
abolition of the death penalty.
Swiss President
Didier Burkhalter, Singapore’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Justice
K.Shanmugan, Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs Rui Machete, Norwegian
State Secretary Hans Brattskar, and French Minister of Foreign Affairs and
International Development Laurent Fabius were present at the debate and
exchanged their views.
Currently, 160
countries around the world have abolished capital punishment, and Ecuador,
Guinea, Pakistan, El Salvador, Gabon, Poland and some U.S. states are taking
positive measurements in the same direction.
Autumn
Plenary Session of Parliament begins
By Ch. Khaliun
October 2 (UB
Post) The 2014 autumn Plenary Session of the Parliament began at 11:40 a.m. on
October 1, with an opening ceremony chaired by Speaker Z.Enkhbold.
In his opening
remarks, Z.Enkhbold underlined the importance of agreements established during
the recent visits of the state heads of China and Russia, he mentioned that
many issues affecting socio-economic concerns are awaiting consideration in
this session. He cited the government budget deficit reaching 605.8 billion
MNT, poor living situations, the maturity date of the Chinggis Bond
approaching, and discussion of the 2015 state budget as priority issues.
One of the
issues at the center of public attention is the restructuring of the Prime
Minister’s Cabinet. On Wednesday, Z.Enkhbold pledged to resolve the issue of
agenda item sequences if the Cabinet submitted its restructuring plan.
At the opening
ceremony, President Ts.Elbegdorj, PM N.Altankhuyag, resident ambassadors,
representatives of international organizations, as well as foreign and local
guests were present, and 86.6 percent of Members of Parliament attended the
ceremony.
Provision 3 of
Article 33 of the Constitution of Mongolia stipulates that the President of
Mongolia may attend the sessions of the Parliament at his own discretion.
The autumn
session will discuss 26 issues and make some changes in the government, as the
public expects. The official agenda includes government measures for the
implementation of policy on railroad transportation, a draft of the 2015 budget,
and a draft law on crime.
Following the
ceremony, political party groups within Parliament held separate meetings.
Below is the
list of agenda items in the order they will be discussed in the autumn session,
approved by Speaker of Parliament Z.Enkhbold on September 22.
List of agenda
items:
1. Ratification
on draft law on “Mongolian American Agreement on International Trade and
Investment Issues to Ensure Transparency”
2. Parliament
resolution on “Some Measures to Ensure the Implementation of Government Policy
on Rail Transport”
3. The
resignation of cabinet members
4. Parliament
resolution on “Government Policy on Approval of the Road Transport Sector”
5. Draft on
fire safety
6. Draft on the
state budget for 2015
7. Draft on
Human Development Fund budget for 2015
8. Draft on
Social Insurance Fund budget for 2015
9. Parliament
resolution on basic principles on approval of monetary policy in 2015
10. Draft on
trade
11. Draft on
tax legislation amendments
12. Draft on
movable property and non-property collateral
13. Draft on
state registration of legal entities
14. Draft on
crime
15. Draft on
violations
16. Draft on
domestic violence
17. Draft on
Mongolian language
18. Parliament
resolution on approval of state education policy
19. Draft on
amendments to procedures to comply with the law prohibiting the use of
exploration in river headwaters, water reservoir protection zon,es and forested
areas
20. Draft on
control
21. Draft on
Mongolian state elections
22. Draft on
political party financing
23. Parliament
resolution on approval of long-term development policy of Mongolia
24. Draft
amendment on Minerals Law
25. Laws under
debate in the Parliament session, other decisive drafts of Parliament
26.
Miscellaneous
Mongolia
to export coal by new railway next year
By B. Mendbayar
October 2 (UB
Post) Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag visited the embankment construction site for
the 267 kilometer railway being built between Tavan Tolgoi and Gashuun Sukhait.
The Tavan
Tolgoi-Gashuun Sukhait Railway is being constructed under the New Railway
Project being implemented by the Mongolian Railway state-owned stock company.
Funding of 200 million USD from the Chinggis Bond has been allocated for
fundamental structures and construction that will be part of the New Railway
Project, and 193.9 million USD has been issued.
Samsung C&T
Corporation has been working as the general executor of the New Railway
Project, and 12 domestic sub-executor companies and over 1,700 employees have
been working on its construction. Presently, completion of the earthwork for
the 267 kilometer railroad is at 76 percent and a bridge along its route at 50
percent.
The Prime
Minister directed relevant officials to accelerate operations and engage both
domestic and foreign investors for other means of funding of the New Railway
Project, in order to launch the railroad in October 2015, as planned.
Once
operational, the 267 kilometer railway between Tavan Tolgoi and Gashuun Sukhait
would decrease the costs for the annual transportation of 30 million tons of
coal by at least 50 percent, and reduce the negative environmental impacts
currently resulting from vehicle transportation.
UB
Air quality is degrading, says expert
October 2 (UB
Post) Undesnii Shuudan spoke to Air
Quality Department expert of the National Agency for Meteorology and
Environment Monitoring of Mongolia, J.Bayarmagnai.
How does air pollution compare to the
corresponding period of last year?
The city air
quality is being studied at 14 posts including 10 of the National Agency for
Meteorology and Environment Monitoring and four of the City Air Quality
Department.
We examine the
main sources of air pollution in four to six types of indicators. As of last
year, the content of sulfuric gas declined by over 20 percent or eight mg per
cubic meter and the content of nitric dioxide reduced by over 26 percent or 18
mg per cubic meter from the previous year.
The indicator
of particulate matter was same as the previous year and big changes haven’t
been observed. But the fine particulate matter decreased by over 21 percent or
27 mg per cubic meter compared with the corresponding period of the previous
year.
Which air pollution indicator is more
harmful to human health?
If the common
pollutant indicators increase from normal levels, it is harmful to the human
body. In other words, any substance, that is higher than its normal level is
poisonous to human health. So it is not accurate to compare which is more
harmful.
Is there any excessive amount of pollutant
substances in the air today?
From the data
collected in September, nitric dioxide is higher than its average level in
areas near big roads and 13th khoroolol. A great amount of particulate
matter was observed in ger districts, and road and construction sites.
According to the data collection centers, particulate matters are above average
in Zuun Ail and Khusug Center.
Is it true that the amount of harmful
substances in air have declined in Ulaanbaatar?
We can’t say
that it is harmful. Maybe this rumor was spread from the main pollutant
substances. The fine particulate matters are very tiny and naked eyes cannot
see them. For example, PM 10 is five to seven times thinner than the
diameter of a human hair. Very small particulate matters exist in the
atmosphere and the human respiratory system doesn’t filter the small pieces and
this affects internal organs.
But bigger
particulate matters, in other words, natural dust, is filtered through the
human respiratory system and it’s affects are lower.
Can we understand that air quality is
worsening year by year?
The air quality
study started very early. But it used to measure sulfuric acid and nitric
monoxide with old methods and we imported equipments to measure air pollution.
Since then, the air quality monitoring capacity has increased.
The French and
Mongolian governments work together in this area and supplied portable air
quality monitors. Consequently, measuring air pollution and its affects has
expanded.
According to
comparative data, air pollution seems to be declining, but in air quality
standard comparisons, air pollution is increasing.
Can we avoid being affected by air
pollution?
All the
emissions travel by air. The main reason for air pollution is dust from moving
things such as cars, ger district, and hydro heating stoves and etc.
The fume from a
ger spreads at a relatively lower altitude. But the fume from the
thermoelectric plants scatters to the atmosphere because its chimneys are
located higher.
In extreme
winter climate, cold air is accumulated on the ground and becomes the main
source of air pollution.
Source:
Undesnii Shuudan
“We
are destroying earth, we are burning our home”
October 2 (UB
Post) Eight courageous men of “Khureelen”
(Institute) Project filmed a documentary featuring Mongolia’s beauty, as well
as the wonder of life and animals in the countryside. These men who captured
rare and incredible moments on film, won the highest prize of journalism in
Mongolia, the Baldorj Prize.
They gave a very modest explanation for
their extraordinary and brave journey of 30,000 km in extreme climate,
fluctuation between minus 30 degrees and plus 30 degrees, to follow a lifelong
obsession for animals.
The following is an interview with founder
of Institute Project U.Ganbayar and general producer M.Buyanbadrakh, covering
some interesting facts about their adventure.
After spending many months near animals
while traveling across the wild, have your views on life changed?
Ganbayar: I realized humans are
biological species.
Buyanbadrakh: Ganbayar has been taking
landscape photos for many years and is much more experienced than me. After
participating in this project, I concluded that I didn’t know beyond taking
photos of marmots, ground-squirrels and birds sitting on windows. A group of
people establish a surrounding. Humans think highly of themselves because we’re
intelligent, dominators of the world, can fly to space, construct tall
buildings, and produce electricity. The animal world is a parallel world that
isn’t inferior or superior to ours. They have a leader, followers, couples,
offsprings, work, competitions and selections. It’s regrettable that we claim they’re
inferior to us and kill, persecute and destroy the animal world.
Is it true Institute Project received a 100
billion MNT financing?
Buyanbadrakh: Rumor spread that apart
from support from the state, we received 100 billion MNT from large
corporations. I can guarantee that we didn’t receive 100 billion MNT. Oyu
Tolgoi LLC, Central Bank, Monnis Group and Khunnu Airlines provided financial
support and promoted our project on TV programs to encourage us to capture good
photos.
Many say we run
tons of commercials during our broadcasting program. We only do it to show our
appreciation to the above companies. The Ministry of Nature and Green
Development and the Ministry of Education and Science understood and supported
our motive and gave us allowances.
Initially, we
planned to execute the project for three years and estimated approximately a
billion MNT for horses, cars and technical equipment. We don’t have supporters
that granted us a billion MNT, or even 100 million MNT. We began our journey
after selling our cars and getting loans.
So far, how much money have you spent?
Ganbayar: Within a year, we spent 300
million MNT on rent, purchasing two cars, fuel and cameras. Our team members
didn’t take a single dime home. We’re barely providing for our family. S.Tsatsral
of Gamma Agency and I are selling our photographs while Buyanaa puts up
advertisements on the website. We plan to repay our debt within 2014. Next
year, we plan to get posters, calendars, books and postcards published with our
work and produce souvenirs and logos.
It must’ve been
difficult to set off this huge project and patch up a team. Did the team
members know each other before?
Buyanbadrakh: Yes. Ganbayar initiated
it. We gave ourselves a very big name, Rangers. It doesn’t mean that we wear
green striped clothes, ride on motorbikes, chase away people camping near Bogd
Mountain, burn down mining companies or pocket money. Animals are dying because
of environmental degradation and pollution. The environment will not
spontaneously recover in ten years if we sit around procrastinating. This is
the fault made by humans so we should inform children on what sorts of wild
animals live where. Based on their knowledge, children will love and protect
animals. We decided to share, inform and show this by doing what we can.
During your journey, did you meet hunters?
Buyanbadrakh: The one who lectures
hunters is our Head Photographer L.Bataa. During summer, we came across people
doing illegal hunting. We could only lecture them since we’re no civil workers
and couldn’t take any measure or fine them. Some get scared but those who
aren’t intimidated demand to know who we are. They don’t take note of words
spoken by people with cameras as their only weapon.
What do you think about animal slaughter?
Ganbayar: Hunters are presenting their
guns to us and say they liked our TV program’s motto, “Let’s exchange hunting
rifles with cameras”. There are many people who pledged to stop hunting and
take pictures instead. They encourage us to sell their guns and use the bargain
for our next journey.
Buyanbadrakh: I think it’s possible to
hunt legally with limits, without threatening the wild population. Every
country has hunting shops. Even Mongolia lets foreigners hunt and get revenue
for the state budget.
Are you extreme animal lovers, to the level
that you wouldn’t even hurt a fly?
Buyanbadrakh: Nature has a strict law
of natural selection that only the strong survive preying on the weak.
Carnivores function as cleaners. With or without us, nature will regulate
itself, eliminating the ones it doesn’t need and keeps the ones that are
needed. Humans are also a type of carnivore. We’re not monks in monasteries. We
haven’t befriended animals so much as to sleep with hedgehogs.
Ganbayar: When Mongolians see animals,
they either believe they’ll recover their spirit or chase them away. The more
you chase them the more distant they become. While we were taking photos of
wild horses, people in vans drove towards them, forcing them to scatter.
Mongolians should stop scaring animals, disturbing the tranquility and clamor
their habitat.
During your journey, was there anything
that was very disturbing or painful to see?
We mainly
travelled through the wild where there weren’t any people. The nature had kept
its natural form. Near roads frequented by people, trash and cans were piled
up. If we think of Mongolia and the earth we live in as home, we’re burning and
ruining our home.
How difficult was the journey?
Buyanbadrakh: You will not face
hardships while traveling by car. During the trip, we travelled 200 km on
horses across tundra, cliffs, rocks, and muddy and swampy land for a week. Some
of the crew did get fever, stomach ache, sore throat and sore legs, and even
got bitten by a dog but nothing too serious. Our cameramen took care of their cameras
more than themselves.
Ganbayar: There were times when I
almost cried from spending minus 30 degree Celsius nights in tents and from
almost freezing my fingers while taking photos during the cold weather. We
almost had a car crash in Gurvantes soum, Umnugobi Province. Although desert
roads seem to be formed of gravels, in the middle it has many loose sands. We
were able to pull our cars because we had two. If we had only one car, we
would’ve been stuck in a difficult situation 300 km away from people, without
water, food or horses.
Mongolia has an official species catalogue
showing the estimation the mammals and reptiles that exist in Mongolia. How
many of them did you film?
Ganbayar: In the first ten months of
our journey, we’ve filmed approximately a third of Mongolia’s total species. We
captured some 50 of 138 species of mammals, over 100 of 487 species of bird,
and three of six amphibians on film. Our work is progressing according to plan.
Were there instances when you couldn’t
capture a moment? For example, due to technical difficulty?
Ganbayar: There were times when we
slipped an amazing moment because the camera wouldn’t focus, clouds covered the
sun and due to technical difficulties as well as our own faults. For example,
after exhausting from a long journey on horses, we finally encountered two elks
but didn’t get to capture them on film. We made a big mistake of tying our
horses in a ravine behind a tree, which was apparently completely visible to
elks that were coming down from Khangai Mountain peak. When the elks saw our
horses, they went straight into the woods. Since wild animals are keen and
vigilant, skills are crucial for getting closer to them. You need detailed
calculations of wind direction, position of the sun, higher ground elevation
and where the animal could escape to.
What will you do after this project?
Ganbayar: We’ll produce our own
magazine and if possible, our own Mongolian geography and animal world channel.
Mongolian channels have a monotone broadcasting system. They first report the
same thing that happened in the State Palace of Mongolia from different angles
and then run few folk songs, followed by Korean soap drama. Instead, why can’t
we have channels exclusively engaged to sports, Buddhism, or even a channel for
women and an animal related channels? There’s tons of work we can do if only we
have the will to take action. Mongolia isn’t a country with debt that only
makes project teams execute new ideas. We’re doing this project because we
enjoy it.
Source:
http://www.mongolnews.mn /1b5z
Mongolian
National Burn Center left out in the cold
October 2 (UB
Post) The Mongolian National Burn Center moved back to the first floor of the
National Trauma and Orthopedic Research Center this week, after temporary
accommodations at Munguun Guur Hospital.
The State
Specialized Inspection Authority prohibited use of their original building,
built in 1957, following an inspection three years ago. At the request of the Ministry
of Health and relevant organizations, the State Property Committee issued
resolution No.358 in 2011 to tear down the building.
This led to two
challenges for the National Burn Center: renting new facilities and building a
new hospital.
At first, the
National Burn Center rented space at the National Trauma and Orthopedic
Research Center. It moved to Mungun Guur Hospital for two years, where it was
operating until last week, and paid one billion MNT for rent. The resettlements
have put financial pressure on the state budget and the National Trauma and
Orthopedic Research Center, financial losses that doctors and workers of the
hospital feel that the Head of the Burn Center is responsible for.
After the City
Governor issued a regulation on building a new hospital in 2011, the Ministry
of Health announced a tender for the planning and plotting of the new building.
EZT LLC was selected and established a contract with the Ministry of Health and
began the planning process.
As of today,
the old building still stands.
The first
budget for the National Burn Center was set at 12 billion MNT, but was later
increased to 30 billion MNT. The Ministry of Health said that the Building
Development Center would evaluate the estimated cost of a new facility and it
would be accurately reflected in the state budget.
Construction
and preparation of a new hospital could take two to three years without further
delays.
According to
international standards for burn centers, there should be one burn center for
every 50 thousand residents of a city, but Ulaanbaatar has one burn center for
a national population of almost three million people.
The hospital
used to conduct its operations with 150 hospital beds at its original facility,
but it functioned with 80 beds while located at Mungun Guur Hospital. Not only
people suffering from burns go to this hospital, but also people requiring
hospitalization from frostbite.
It is unclear
how the situation will be improved by moving back to the National Trauma and
Orthopedic Research Center. We have to be thankful for the doctors who are
working under these conditions and following their oaths.
One of the
doctors at the burn center said that most of the people who are treated at the
burn center don’t work in well-paid jobs, and the authorities don’t care about
improving the resources for the hospital’s operation and speeding up the
process of building a new hospital. But pain doesn’t distinguish between people
who are rich or poor.
“Declaring
bankruptcy is easy for banks and hospitals, but the results are a hardship for
the public,” said the director of the National Trauma and Orthopedic Research
Center, Z.Mendsaikhan.
While our
ministries discuss their failures, the healthcare sector has already gone
bankrupt.
Source:
http://www.news.mn/content/190315.shtml
Communication
Roadblock Leads to Protests at Da Khuree
October 2 (UB
Post) Some areas of Da Khuree Auto Market, located in the 17th Khoroo in
Ulaanbaatar, were shut down on Wednesday, causing automotive businesses to
protest and block the road.
The business
owners and operators were frustrated that operations of some areas of the auto
market were suspended when the first stage of planning for the new Auto trade
Complex hadn’t yet been commissioned.
They began
their strike on the road at 9:00 a.m. yesterday. When reporters from Unuudur
arrived at the scene at 1:40 p.m, a huge commotion from Bayanzurkh police
officers demanding that the salesmen clear the road was commencing.
Chairman of the
Mongolian Automotive Trade Association P.Gantsooj clarified the situation,
“Today, we’re suffering because the government is working erroneously and isn’t
fulfilling its promises. The State Specialized Inspection Agency issued an
order to shut down auto markets operating in the capital city on October 1.
They probably made this decision consistent with plans for the new auto trade
center. However, the trade center hasn’t become operational yet.
“When I spoke
with the Deputy Head of Roads, Transportation and Infrastructure Department of
the Office of the Ulaanbaatar Governor, N.Gantumur, on the phone, he said he
didn’t know anything and would send officials after speaking with the District
Governor. He also said the auto trade center would be commissioned on October
15. This shows that businesses are being victimized because organizations don’t
have proper communication. If it isn’t time to launch the Auto Trade Complex,
auto market operations shouldn’t be suspended. Basically, it’s the same as trying
to move people into an apartment with only the foundation laid. During the
Mongolian Auto Forum, Deputy Head N.Gantumur told me to wait until October 1,
and that they’re working as fast as they can to make the Auto Trade Complex.”
He also
reported that the salesmen would continue to protest until Da Khuree Auto
Market is reopened. Da Khuree Auto Market has many sections inside, including
Mungun Khuleg (Silver Knight) and diesel engine markets, where over 600 people
run businesses. Mungun Khuleg was closed down on August 30.
“If they truly
enforced the law, all auto markets would be shut down. We’re not saying we will
not move to the 22nd traffic checkpoint in Songinokhairkhan District. Even if
we go there now, the building doesn’t have a bank, restaurant, or even toilets.
It looked like excavated land, covered in red dirt. I wouldn’t mind moving
there now if it had adequate working conditions. We’re facing a loss at the
moment. The project heads are also demanding four million MNT as a sales
vehicle parking fee from tenants. Those capable of paying must have paid. But
would people like me, who sell used cars and have only ten million MNT as
turnover, have the money to rent a section of the trade area?” commented a
salesman of Mungun Khuleg.
The first stage
of Auto Trade Complex construction, the square area for open parking, was
initially planned to become operational on October 1. This parking space
adequate for 6,300 cars is currently at 30 to 40 percent completion. While this
is reality, auto sales businesses operating within the capital shouldn’t be
terminated or suffer financial losses.
Auto market
traders aren’t protesting because they don’t wish to move to the 22nd traffic
checkpoint. They are frustrated because the Auto Trade Complex wasn’t
commissioned on time, and the abuse of their interests.
Source:
http://mongolnews.mn /1bde
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