Mongolia Brief July 4, 2014 Part IV
First Gobi bear cub of this year born
July 6 (UB
Post) A research team that worked at the A region of Gobi’s strictly protected
area has reported that the first Gobi bear cub of this year was born.
The
Ministry of Environment and Green Development and researchers of the National
University of Mongolia is currently making a picture index of all Gobi bears.
The research
team installed automatic motion sensor cameras at Tsagaan Bogd, Shar Khuls and
Khushuut of Gobi National Park which is home to Gobi bears.
With the
automatic motion sensor cameras, pictures of each bear will be sorted and
tracking bear population will become much easier. There are only around 30 Gobi
bears left in existence as they are endemic specie to Mongolia.
Consumer Rights Agency says Santis English School overcharges students
July 6 (UB
Post) The Agency for Fair Competition and Consumer Rights (AFCCR) found that
Santis English School administrators have overcharged their students by 310,000
MNT during a recent inspection.
The school
charged 2.6 million MNT as tuition fee from each student at the start of the
academic year 2013-2014 and charged extra 310,000 MNT as “additional fee”
shortly before their graduation. Those who didn’t pay the additional fee
weren’t given their graduation diplomas according to Chief of Consumer Rights
Protection Division at AFCCR Ch.Batbaatar.
“We have
received several complaints regarding this school’s payment system. As a result
of the inspection, 40 graduates of the school who haven’t paid the additional
fee received their diplomas and prevented 12 million MNT worth of ‘additional
fee’ from being paid to the administrators. Such violation will not be repeated
again,” said Ch.Batbaatar.
Oxygen apparatus presented to the United Infants Section of NCMCH
July 6 (UB
Post) One of the biggest international audit organizations in Mongolia, PwC
donated three pieces of oxygen apparatus to the United Infants Section of the
National Center for Maternal and Child Health of Mongolia (NCMCH), which
assists infants who are born prematurely.
“Our office in
Ulaanbaatar has more than 80 employees. We teamed up with well-educated young
Mongolians. Child health is a very important and worrisome issue. Realizing our
social responsibility, we are presenting these pieces of oxygen equipment to
the NCMCH,” said Administrate Partner of PwC Matthew Potel.
Each apparatus
costs 1,650,000 MNT. The United Infants Section includes three maindepartments:
pathology, intensive treatment, and infant research.
“Nowadays, the
younger generation does many activities to benefit society. This apparatus is
very useful. We have some, but not in every room,” said NCMCH’s Vice-Director
of Treatment, Ts.Altantuya.
Around 10,000
babies are born every year at the NCMCH. The center assists 14,000 babies
nationwide.
PwC is an international organization which gives auditing services and tax advice.
PwC is an international organization which gives auditing services and tax advice.
Mongolian Honorary Consulate opens in Madrid
July 6 (UB
Post) Foreign Affairs Minister L.Bold conducted an official visit to Spain, a
country influential in the European Union and the historical core of Spanish
speaking countries, on July 1 and 2. The visit represents the implementation of
the “third neighbor” policy, strengthening Mongolia’s national security
politically and broadening Mongolia’s position on the international stage, as
well as contributing to the two country’s economic relations.
Foreign Affairs
Minister L.Bold held bilateral talks with his Spanish counterpart, Garcia
Margallo, and discussed cooperation and relations widely. The sides agreed on
stabilizing political talks, intensifying economic cooperation, exchanging
students, and shared views on cooperation within the EU, U.N. and other
international organizations.
At the meeting,
Margallo noted that this was the first official visit of a Mongolian Foreign
Affairs Minister in the 40-year history of relations between Mongolia and
Spain, and emphasized the visit was a significant step in developing relations
and cooperation between the two countries.
Minister L.Bold
attended the official opening ceremony of the Mongolian Honorary Consulate
Mission in Madrid, and presented the newly appointed honorary consul, Spanish
citizen Adriana Poveda, a Mongolian flag.
Over 300
Mongolian citizens are registered as residing in Spain. On June 30, Spanish
police arrested a man who attacked a young Spaniard born in Mongolia on
Barcelona’s underground railway system, after a video of the incident posted on
YouTube went viral. The honorary consul in Madrid is currently working on this
case, protecting the rights of the alleged Mongolian attack victim.
During the
visit, L.Bold met Spanish Secretary of State for trade, Jaime GarcÃa-Legaz,
where the sides highlighted that there are many pleasant opportunities to
intensify Mongolia-Spain collaboration in trade, economy and the investment
sectors, and discussed possibilities to promote and support collaboration
through policy and intensifying the organization of bilateral business
meetings. The sides agreed on collaborating particularly on infrastructure,
urban planning, agriculture, leather processing and tourism, and reached a decision
to hold a Mongolia-Spain business forum in Spain this September.
Investment fund to be established
July 6 (UB
Post) The Parliament of Mongolia passed the Law on Investment in October 2013.
Its supporters believe that implementation of the law might positively
influence the financial market, investment environment as well as the
macroeconomic situation of the country.
The council
organized to intensify the economy has finished developing its guidance to
establish an state investment fund, which will make proactive development
investments. The government anticipates that a decision will be made to finance
the establishment of the investment fund through Development Bank in its first
phase.
With the
formation of the investment fund, capital invested by the government will be
used as leverage, and it would be possible to raise money from other investors
equivalent to five times the minimum capital required by Development Bank.
Capital would be attracted as investment, not a loan, which means there would
be no pressure in terms of debt.
Prime Minister responds to letter from MP Kh.Battulga
July 6 (UB
Post) A few days ago, Member of Parliament and former Agriculture and Industry
Minister Kh.Battulga addressed a letter to Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag,
demanding a response to several issues, stating that he will stand against
several parliamentary and governmental decisions which he believes will
negatively affect the lives of Mongolian people and bring about extremely
dangerous consequences that will weaken national security and work against the
interests of the Mongolian people.
Yesterday,
Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag made a statement regarding the issues addressed in
Kh.Battulga’s letter. The statement said:
1. The decision
to use the equipment, facilities and software of Chinese companies ZTE and
Huawei in the communications sector went into force in 2009. All the projects regarding
this issue were completed in compliance with guidance from the National
Security Council of Mongolia.
2. The
Government of Mongolia did not breach current railway policy, which was
submitted by you, Kh.Battulga, during your four year appointment in 2008 as
Minister of Roads and Transportation. The issue to lay down narrow railway
track in some ports to directly transport mining product overseas was submitted
to the Parliament in compliance with the State Policy on Railway.
3. The issue to
open a branch of Bank of China has not been discussed at the government level.
4. The renewed
draft version of the Land Law, developed in compliance with the Constitution,
has been withdrawn, as the organized campaign against it has started to deviate
from the draft bill and misinform the public that the draft bill has a clause
to allow foreign citizens and entities to own land.
The New Government for Changes of Mongolia did not make any decision to harm the state of national security or independence, and I conscientiously make a promise that we will never make such a decision.
The New Government for Changes of Mongolia did not make any decision to harm the state of national security or independence, and I conscientiously make a promise that we will never make such a decision.
Signed, Prime
Minister N.Altankhuyag
Rainwater drainage trucks will now be clearly identified
July 6 (UB
Post) Due to the lack of a sufficient city drainage system, rainwater swamps
the streets after heavy rains and causes a public nuisance. The Ulaanbaatar
Incorporated Public Service Authority removes the rainwater with the help of
three specialized vacuum trucks with water carrying capacity ranging from 1 to
10 tons.
The public was
recently concerned about reports on social media networks that the city
authority poured collected wastewater into the Tuul River. In reality, the
water was not household drainage and was the collected rainwater.
Ulaanbaatar has
a separate system for purifying water. Existing road drainage systems and
channels are connected to the river. In the future, the specialized trucks used
to remove rainwater will have signs that say “Rain Water” on them, reported the
Ulaanbaatar Incorporated Public Service Authority.
Air pollution in Ulaanbaatar believed to increase the risk of miscarriage
July 6 (UB
Post) An international conference on the effects of air pollution on women and
children’s health took place at the National Center for Maternal and Children’s
Health (NCMCH) on June 7 to 9.
David
Warburton, a doctor at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the U.S., gave the
most interesting speech. He said, “Our final research report indicates that the
risk of miscarriage in Ulaanbaatar increases four times during winter.” These
results came from comparing women at 27 days of pregnancy in winter and summer.
The research was based on data collected from 10,000 women examined at the
NCMCH.
Dr. Warburton
also stated, “80 percent of Ulaanbaatar’s air pollution is from coal. Although
people need coal to keep warm, it’s still very dirty. Therefore, I’d like to
advise introducing ‘coal cleaning’ technology to Mongolia. Decisive steps for
the health of future Mongolian children should be taken. We must either
completely stop using coal or clean coal extremely well. Also, if heat loss in
homes is reduced, coal use will be reduced.”
He also stated
that smoking is another major source of air pollution and continued, “Air
pollution isn’t just a health issue. It can include businesses. If members of
the energy sector create public-private partnerships and drive away coal, there
are opportunities to raise funds from foreign countries.”
His research
will be continued further.
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