Mongolia Brief October 14, 2014 Part I



Draft Amendments to Income Tax Law Submitted to Parliament
By B. Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) Draft amendments to the law on"Economic entity income tax" was presented Monday to the Speaker Z.Enkhbold by Ya.Sodbaatar, D.Sarangerel, N.Nomtoibayar and L.Enkh-Amgalan MPs.

The said the new draft has been developed in order to support wealth creators in overcoming an  economic crisis with less damage, to decrease taxes burden on middle class and entrepreneurs who make up most of the private businesses in the country, to reduce a complexity in tax report processes. This is also considered as of high importance in improving the investments conditions, economic intensification, and promoting the private sector. A number of Economic Entity Income Tax payers reached 78,748 by 2012, the sales incomes of the entities that make 1.5 billion Togrog or more a year cover 13-15 percent of the total sales revenue. “Making these changes to the tax law will provide transparency in economic and business entities, reduce workload of the tax offices and reduce the administration costs, and will establish trust between public and private organizations,” said the MPs. 

Proposal Submitted to Parliament on Changing Government's Composition
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) Head of the Cabinet Secretariat for Government Ch.Saikhanbileg MP Monday submitted to the Speaker Z.Enkhbold a proposal on changing a composition of the current cabinet.
Earlier, the cabinet had submitted to parliament draft amendments to the laws on structure and on composition of government, suggesting forming 13 Ministries by uniting the two Ministries (Finance; and Economic Development) into the Ministry of Finance; the two Ministries (Mining: and Energy) into the Ministry of Geology and Mining; and the two Ministries (Construction and Urban Development; and Road and Transportation) into the Ministry of Infrastructure Development.
However, the parliamentary session at its plenary meeting on October 7 decided that the Ministries of Construction and Urban Development and of Road and Transportation will be merged into the Ministry of Road, Transportation, Construction and Urban Development instead of Infrastructure Development.
Mr Saikhanbileg proposes that the government will have--the Prime Minister; the Deputy PM; the Minister of Mongolia and head of the Cabinet Secretariat; and the Minister of Environment and Green Development; of Foreign Relations and Economic Cooperation; of Finance; of Justice; of Defense; of Education and Science; of Road, Transportation, Construction and Urban Development; of Culture, Sport and Tourism; of Mining and Energy; of Industry and Agriculture; of Labour; of Population Development and Social Welfare; and of Health.

Draft Amendments to Law on Government Composition to Be Discussed
By B. Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) The parliament session on Tuesday discussed whether to discuss draft amendments to the Law on Government Composition and related to it draft laws.
The draft amendments were introduced by Ch.Saikhanbileg, the head of the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government, the comments and conclusions of the Standing committee on state structure--by S.Bayartsogt MP.
Regarding the Standing committee’s conclusions, the members raised questions.
The Standing committee had supported the discussion of the draft laws, and 78.7 percent of the MPs present voted for it. Thus, the draft amendments to the Law on Government Composition and other associated drafts were passed to this Standing committee for a preparation for the first discussion.

Ministry Introduces Euro Codes to Civil Engineers
By B. Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) The Ministry of Construction and Urban Development has organized a training for design engineers from over 30 construction companies in order to give them an understanding about the Euro codes.
These codes are a set of harmonized technical rules developed by the European Committee for Standardization for the structural design of construction works in the European Union.
The training has been run by Prof. from Department of Reinforced Concrete and Masonry Structures of the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering A.Plotnikov, a senior Prof. at the department A.N.Klimov, and assistant Prof. at Department of Metal Structrure of the university A.I.Danilov.
The purposes of the Euro codes are a means to prove compliance with the requirements for mechanical strength and stability and safety in case of fire established by European Union law; a basis for construction and engineering contract specifications; a framework for creating harmonized technical specifications for building products. The codes help improve competitiveness of organizations, manufacturers, executors and designers in civil engineering.

Ambassador of Mongolia to Indonesia Sh.Battsetseg Accredited
October 14 (infomongolia.com) Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Republic of Indonesia Mrs. Shagdar BATTSETSEG presented a Letter of Credence to the President of Indonesia, H.E. Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on October 13, 2014.
Following the credential handing ceremony, Ambassador Sh.Battsetseg conveyed greetings of President of Mongolia Ts.Elbegdorj and noted that bilateral traditional friendly relations have been developing since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. In particular, the state visit by incumbent President of the Republic of Indonesia paid to Mongolia in September 2012 opened a new page in the history of bilateral relations.
The Indonesian President conveyed heartfelt greetings to his Mongolian counterpart and underlined democratic developments in Mongolia. Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono highlighted that Indonesia pays a great importance to bilateral ties and wished a successful endeavor to newly accredited Ambassador of Mongolia to Indonesia.
Mongolia and the Republic of Indonesia have established the diplomatic relations on December 22, 1956.
The Government of Mongolia decided to open its Embassy in Jakarta in 2013 and Ambassador of Mongolia to Indonesia Sh.Battsetseg was promoted at the Cabinet meeting held on April 12, 2014.
Related:

Economic Indicators for First Nine Months of 2014
By B. Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) According to the Bank of Mongolia, money supply (broad money or M2) reached MNT 10.1 trillion at the end of September, decreasing MNT 65.4 billion or 0.6 percent from the previous month, but increasing 1.6 trillion or 18.7 percent against the same period of 2013.
Currency issued in circulation in September reached MNT 827.3 billion, going up by 52.8 billion or 6.0 percent from the previous month, and going down by MNT 47.7 billion or 5.4 percent against the same period of 2013.
Outstanding loans of 2014 amounted to MNT 12.6 trillion at the end of September, increasing MNT 273.1 billion or by 2.2 percent from the previous month and by 2.5 trillion or by 24.2 percent against the same period of the previous year.
Principals in arrears reached MNT 464.6 billion at the end of September, showing a decrease of MNT 62.5 billion or of 11.9 percent from the previous month, and going up MNT 311.1 billion or three times compared to the same period of the previous year.
At the end of September, non-performing loans over the bank system reached MNT 590.4 billion, decreasing MNT 29.6 billion or by 4.8 percent against the previous month, but increasing MNT 53.2 billion or 9.9 percent against the same period of 2013. 

Industrial Production Index in Figures
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) In the first nine month of this year, the industrial production index (IPI) (2010=100 seasonally adjusted and experimental estimation) increased by 4.0% from the end of the last year, and by 5.7% over the previous month.
The IPI decreased by 5.1% against the previous year. The mining products such as molybdenum with concentrate, gold, iron ore, copper concentrate, crude oil, fluor spar concentrate increased 4.3-67.9% in the mining and quarrying sectors, while the manufacture of products such as juice, steel casting, cigarettes, metal steel, milk, knitted goods, soft drinks, buuz, dumplings, sausages, vacuum windows and doors, sawn wood rose by 1.3% to 2.3 times in the manufacturing sector against the previous year.
Construction and capital repairs work reached MNT 1,182.4 billion, where 1,114.6 billion or 94.3% were allocated to the domestic construction entities and MNT 67.8 billion, or 5.7%--to foreign construction entities.

Crimes and Disasters in Figures
By B. Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) At the national level, 19,773 crimes were reported in the first nine months of 2014, showing an increase of 957 crimes or of 5.1 percent against the same period of 2013.
This increase occurred due to the increases in crimes against the right of ownership (607) and infliction of a bodily injury (505). Some 7,790 people were injured and 836 people died because of these crimes. The number of the injured went up by 967 persons or by 14.2 percent, of the died increased by 81 or by 10.7 percent against the same period of the previous year.
Meantime, there were 3,409 natural accidents and disasters in which 157 people died and 14,662 heads of livestock got lost. Among these disasters and accidents 2,901 were construction fires, 153 forest fires, 84 floods and river and lake accidents, 32 cases of 3.5 magnitude earthquakes, 23 severe storms, 13 incidents related to chemical substance usage and emergency call.
Estimated damage caused by the construction fires amounted to MNT 10.5 billion, by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome–MNT 1.6 billion, by the forest fires–MNT 1.4 billion, by heavy rain and floods--MNT 755.4 million, by severe storms--MNT 586.3 million. A total of 680.7 million Togrog was spent on the disasters and accidents. 
During this period, 94 people died from drowning in rivers and lakes, 48 people died in the construction fires, five died from thunder, three from the forest and artisanal mining fires and rock falls, two in heavy rains and floods and severe storms. Against the same period of 2013, the occurrences of the natural disasters and accidents decreased by 68 cases.

Weekly Bestsellers Named
By B. Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) The list of best-sold books at Internom bookstores has been topped by “People and Society III”-- a textbook for the sixth grade pupils.
After this go "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest" by Stieg Larsson and "On how to have beautiful hand-writing".
The runner-up are “Mathematics X”--a textbook for tenth-graders, "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead" by Sheryl Sandberg, "Sorkhugtani"– a historic novel by B.Sarantuya, Oxford’s Mongolian-English and English-Mongolian pocket dictionaries, "Biology IV"–a textbook for tenth-graders, also "Learn to read on your own" by D.Erdenechimeg, and "The Girl with Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson. 

Two Wrestlers Achieved New Titles at 2014 National Naadam Festival Proved of Using Banned Drugs
October 14 (infomongolia.com) On October 13, 2014, Mongolian National Wrestling Federation (MNWF) called a press conference regarding the doping test summary collected from 16 winners after Fifth Round in traditional wrestling tournament at the 2014 National Naadam Festival held in Ulaanbaatar.
According to statement, the MNWF claims that the drug test probe No. 2826916 collected from Ulsyn Nachin (State Falcon - title) N.Adiyabat, resident of Tariat Sum of Arkhangai Aimag and the probe No. 2826940 from Ulsyn Nachin B.Sumanchuluun, resident of Tonkhil Sum of Govi-Altai Aimag, show negative results, in other words, these athletes used a drug that contains chemical substances registered in the list of banned drugs.
According to the regulation of the National Naadam Festival, samples are usually collected from 16 winners of the traditional wrestling and each participant is asked to provide a urine sample, which is divided into two as A and B samples. If an A-sample is revealed the presence of a prohibited substance, which tested at the laboratory of Anti-Doping Center of Mongolia, the athlete can request for re-test sending the B-sample abroad on his own expenses.
However, above two wrestlers did not recognize the A-samples result issued on August 22, 2014, thereof the Anti-Doping Center sent their B-samples to South Korea for re-test. Afterwards, Korea Institute of Science and Technology affirmed the B samples result as same as A-samples in an official respond sent on September 08, 2014.
Currently, the MNWF is not revealed yet its final decisions, but according to rule, a wrestler who uses banned performance enhancing drugs is confiscated his state title achieved in certain year or banned to participate in wrestling competitions up to two years.
Related:

Comments

Popular posts from this blog