Mongolia Brief September 9, 2014 Part III
Stock
exchange news for September 9
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
September 9 (MONTSAME) At the Stock Exchange trades on Tuesday, a total of 15
thousand and 847 shares of 13 JSCs were traded costing MNT six million 125
thousand and 661.30.
"Merex”
/9,020 units/, “Genco tour bureau” /5,549 units/, “Tavantolgoi” /500/, “State
Department Store” /361 units/ and "Arig gal” /206 units/ were the most
actively traded in terms of trading volume, in terms of trading value were
"Tavantolgoi” (MNT two million and 600 thousand), "Talkh chikher”
(MNT 872 thousand and 900), "Merex” (MNT 811 thousand and 960), "Arig
gal” (MNT 473 thousand and 800) and "Genco tour bureau” (MNT 466 thousand
and 366).
The total
market capitalization was set at MNT one trillion 625 billion 950 million 853
thousand and 393. The Index of Top-20 JSCs was 15,948.34, increasing 243.23
units or 1.55% against the previous day.
Press
release: Oyu Tolgoi Named Best Social Insurance Contributor for 2013
September 8
(Oyu Tolgoi) Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia - Today, the director of the Social
Insurance Agency, Ts.Urtnasan, congratulated and awarded the commemorative
trophy and certificate of honour to Oyu Tolgoi LLC which was selected as the
best social insurance contributor for the year 2013.
He said at the
awards ceremony - "The Social Insurance Agency has selected the best
companies which made the largest contribution to the social insurance fund
according to many criteria, and 11 of these companies were named the best
social security contributors. In recognition of their achievements we placed
their company flags and logos in the front of our office. Today, we are
awarding the commemorative trophy and certificate of honour to one of these
best companies."
Best social
insurance contributor’s certificate of honour says that the company was
recognised by the Social Insurance Agency for proper and lawful calculation of
social insurance premiums and their prompt payment without any delays and debts
and for crucial contribution to ensuring social security of the insured
employees.
Mongolian
script calligraphies showed in Australia
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
September 9 (MONTSAME) Mongolian artists D.Battomor, D.Ganbaatar,
L.Tuvshinjargal and B.Odontuya are mounting their pieces of Mongolian script
calligraphy in the “Brush and Ink” Asian calligraphy exhibition which opened
September 6 in the Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide.
Apart from
Mongolians, the exhibition is being participated by calligraphists from Japan
and China.
B.Odontuya has
run training on features of the Mongolian calligraphy and gave the attendees
calligraphy pieces. Our calligraphists are showing their creations named
“Mongolian shaman’s ritual on Mongolian horse”, “Sky, nomad and earth”,
“Mongolian pride”, “Vast”, “Under the eternal sky” and others.
Some 150
Australians have visited the exhibition so far. It will be open until March of
2015.
Related:
Mongolian calligraphy featured at
Brush and Ink exhibition in Australia – UB
Post, September 9
Oil
& Oil Shale Mongolia 2014 kicks off on Wednesday
September 9
(news.mn) Oil & Oil Shale Mongolia 2014 International Investment Conference
will kick off in Ulaanbaatar, on Wednesday, September 10th. The two-day
conference will bring together oil experts, representatives from the private
sector, and foreign investors. The conference aims to become a platform for
discussion on the improvement of the legal environment for oil and oil shale,
in particular, the Petroleum Law of Mongolia. Participants will exchange views
on tax issues in the oil sector, social concerns and the latest technology in
the field. Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag, Mining Minister D.Gankhuyag are among
the key speakers.
The Oil &
Oil Shale Mongolia 2014 International Investment Conference will kick off at
Tuushin Hotel on Thursday.
Ts.Bat
released on bail
By B. Khash-Erdene
September 9 (UB Post) Police
to reinvestigate Bat’s defamation case
Aviation
engineer and blogger Ts.Bat, who was sentenced to 100 days in a penitentiary on
defamation charges against Transport Minister A.Gansukh on August 19, was
released on bail on Tuesday morning, after an appeals court called for a
reinvestigation of the case.
Culture and
Sports Minister Ts.Oyungerel, Ts.Bat’s sister, told the UB Post, “His lawyer
just gave me the good news. He said that the case will be reinvestigated and
that [Bat] has been released on bail.”
Ts.Bat’s first tweet after his release, stated, “If engineer is brave, minister will s**t in his pants.”
Ts.Bat’s first tweet after his release, stated, “If engineer is brave, minister will s**t in his pants.”
“A country
where the people are not allowed to criticize their leaders and only commends
them is called the Democratic Republic of Korea. Mongolia mustn’t be like them.
Revolution hasn’t ended yet,” said Ts.Bat, through his Twitter
page, @batengineer.
Meanwhile, the
Mongolian Twitter community that has been insisting on Ts. Bat’s release
congratulated Ts.Bat’s lawyer O.Altangerel, after he announced his client’s
release.
Before the
trial, O.Altangerel tweeted, “Greetings to a day when Bat should be released.
Hope to bring good news today.”
Ts.Bat also
thanked the preliminary court for underlining a threat to democracy by
imprisoning him for defamation.
“Thank you
preliminary court. Through your mistake, Mongolians were able to see and
evaluate the threat to democracy,” he tweeted.
Minister
Ts.Oyungerel has been outspoken against the conviction of her brother and has
maintained that imprisonment for defamation and libel cases are a serious threat
to democracy and freedom of expression.
Globe
International’s Kh.Naranjargal told the UB Post that defamation and libel cases
shouldn’t be seen as criminal cases in court.
“In 2011, the
UN’s human rights commission advised Mongolia to retract defamation and libel
cases from Mongolia’s Criminal Code. We are firmly against the case being tried
in criminal court,” Kh.Naranjargal said.
She noted that
the case isn’t over and that a new investigation will examine Bat’s claims and
accusations made about Minister A.Gansukh on Twitter over the past year and a
half.
Minister A.Gansukh could not be reached for comment.
Minister A.Gansukh could not be reached for comment.
“There is a
clause in Mongolian law about deliberate defamation. The investigation will
look into allegations made by Bat,” she highlighted. “The police and law
enforcement should be looking to find the truth; whether Bat’s claims are true
or false. Instead of doing this, they investigated the person who made the
accusations.”
Minister
Ts.Oyungerel said that her brother’s imprisonment illustrates that there is no
protection for whistleblowers in Mongolia and added that she will continue to
work towards providing protection for them in the future.
Poor
results from EZEN-100
By Ch. Khaliun
September 9 (UB
Post) The 100-day economic program EZEN-100, implemented by the government,
ended on August 18. People hoped that the program would positively influence
the economy and decrease the USD exchange rate. Authorities promised it too, and
announced that the major goal of the program was to decrease the exchange rate.
The results are
not as people expected, and opposition parties have demanded the resignation of
the government and called on them to take responsibility. They have focused on
the resignation of Minister of Economic Development N.Batbayar. The authorities
have successfully protected the government and the Minister, until the end
spring session.
During a press
conference held in May, D.Erdenebat, Chairman of the Democratic Party of the
Parliament, said that if there would not be positive results from EZEN-100, the
majority group would call for government accountability.
The results are
that the USD exchange rate reached 1,900 MNT and the CNY surpassed 310 MNT, but
in a September 8 interview, D.Erdenebat said something completely different. He
said, “I always try to find positive sides from all things. The ‘New Government
for Changes’ is the most open and businesslike government. We should not judge
people’s sole mistakes, but people must have the ability to find and fix their
mistakes. Changing the government does not guarantee that new staff will work
better. If you are not trying to damage the current government, who have
provided vital preparations for important visits and started negotiations, then
there is no emergency requiring the resignation of the government.”
According to
the opposition parties, EZEN-100 was just a show from authorities to bide time
and reach the second anniversary of holding governing power. The Chairman of
the MPP parliamentary group, S.Byambatsogt, said, “When the government
announced the economic stimulation program EZEN-100, opposition parties did not
just sit by and watch, but suggested some projects. They did not listen to us
and there are no results.”
Chairman of the
MPP M.Enkhbold introduced a conclusion. On May 8, the government approved the
34th resolution on some measures to strengthen and boost the economy. In the
framework of EZEN-100, the government was tasked with implementing over 70
projects, but only 34 of 70 projects were started. Opposition parties requested
conclusions from the Price Stabilization Program, and if there were no results
from the program, they suggested ending it and increasing payments and pension
funds by presenting the remainder of the Chinggis and Samurai bonds to the
state budget.
During the
establishment of the “New Government for Changes” economic growth was 17.5
percent, in 2013 it was 11.7 percent, but according to statistics from May of
this year, economic growth surged by 5.3 percent. Inflation increased to 14.9
percent in the last year.
During the
EZEN-100 program, commodity prices surged by 21 to 60 percent. As of the July
of this year, total foreign investment is just over 500,000 USD. State budget
revenue exploded to 440 billion MNT with a deficit of over 160 billion MNT.
These are the
results from EZEN-100, according to the opposition parties.
Conflict
ignites between crop farmers and Agriculture Ministry over wheat price
By M. Zoljargal
September 9 (UB
Post) Crop farmers went on a demonstration last weekend in Darkhan-Uul Province
to oppose the Ministry of Industry and Agriculture’s (MIA) unofficial report
which stated that Mongolia might have to import Russian wheat instead of using
domestic wheat for flour production this fall for financial reason.
Mongolia is
expected to harvest 400,000 tons of wheat this year, which is expected to fully
meet domestic demand, according to crop farmers in provinces.
Crop farmers
are currently busy harvesting before forecasted radical temperature drop, from
September 17. They said that stronger demonstrations will be made unless the
ministry reviews it’s position and makes a decision that benefits domestic producers.
Farmers will
run deficits and some small crop fields might go bankrupt if domestic wheat is
wasted.
The Public Communications Division of the MIA told the UB Post that government cannot afford the prices set by farmers. “Importing of wheat is being considered as Mongolian wheat price is set too high, while wheat prices are globally down. We have proposed to pay 500,000 MNT per ton of wheat and if national farmers refuse to sell their wheat at this price, we might have to consider importing wheat from Russia at cheaper costs,” said the MIA.
The Public Communications Division of the MIA told the UB Post that government cannot afford the prices set by farmers. “Importing of wheat is being considered as Mongolian wheat price is set too high, while wheat prices are globally down. We have proposed to pay 500,000 MNT per ton of wheat and if national farmers refuse to sell their wheat at this price, we might have to consider importing wheat from Russia at cheaper costs,” said the MIA.
Farmers said
that they have to set higher prices as they took out substantial loans from
commercial banks in spring.
Crop farmers
were prompted to produce more than the previous year in order to meet domestic
demand this year, as part of the ministry’s plan before the resignation former
Agriculture Minister Kh.Battulga.
If the ministry
decides to import wheat, farmers will face losses as buyers become scarce.
The MIA said that it will make a statement regarding the plan this week with finalized price offers for domestic wheat.
The MIA said that it will make a statement regarding the plan this week with finalized price offers for domestic wheat.
FILA
Hall of Fame inducts State Honored Coach A.Baskhuu
By B. Tungalag
September 9 (UB
Post) The International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles (FILA) Hall
of Fame inducted Mongolian State Honored Coach A.Baskhuu on September 6. The
FILA bureau decided to enlist A.Baskhuu during its meeting in June 14.
A.Baskhuu
became the ninth referee to be included in the FILA Hall of Fame.
President of
FILA Nenad Lalovic, officials of FILA and athletes, coaches and referees who
are participating in the World Freestyle Championship participated in the
induction ceremony.
A.Baskhuu is
the chief coach of all national wrestling teams of the Sports Training Center
of the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, and is the only Mongolian to
have served as a referee in six Olympics, 30 world championships, four world
cups and 45 European and Asian championships.
He was awarded
the Golden Whistle at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, and has also received the
prestigious FILA Gold Star, the highest honor awarded by the federation in
recognition of brilliant referee skills and contributions to the sport.
Hydroelectric
power plant coming to Khovd River
By B. Mendbayar
September 9 (UB
Post) The Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to Turkey,
B.Batkhishig, had a meeting in the Mongolian Embassy in Turkey with General
Manager of ZTM Engineering and Consulting Co. Inc. Muslum Gunduz to discuss the
hydroelectric power plant that will be constructed on the Khovd River.
During the
meeting, Muslum Gunduz noted that the feasibility studies for the hydroelectric
power plant will be complete this year, and introduced measures and conditions
to raise further investment and financing. In response, Ambassador B.Batkhishig
pledged the embassy’s support for synergizing the relevant ministries and
organizations of the two countries in order to accelerate the progress of the
power plant’s construction.
To be located
on the Khovd River, about 40 km from Ulgii soum, the center of Bayan-Ulgii
aimag, the hydroelectric power station requires about 160 million USD in
funding and will have the capacity to produce 56 megawatts of electricity. Upon
building the power plant, Mongolia hopes to fully supply western region aimags
with electricity.
ZTM Engineering
and Consulting also started creating a master plan for Mongolian hydroelectric
power plant development.
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