Mongolia Brief October 14, 2014 Part III



DBM about Great Construction Works
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) The Development Bank of Mongolia (DBM) is financing 23 packages of projects costing MNT 2.5 trillion in the spheres of energy, construction, housing, auto roads, infrastructure and light industry.

For the time being, one trillion and 67 billion Togrog already has been exploited, said N.Monkhbat, an executive director of the DBM at the “Hours of great construction” weekly meeting on Monday.
Energy supply of the city has improved, the cost of energy production has declined thanks to expanding the #3 and #4 power plants, building a new "Amgalan" thermal power station, and making a technological reform in the "Baganuur" state-run company. Such big works have not been performed in the last 25 years, he underlined. 
The DBM is investing 1.8 trillion Togrog in the city’s housing and infrastructure, a financing of 590 billion has been made so far together with implementing of projects on restoring a factory of construction productions and building apartments in “Yaarmag” area. In addition, he went on, a financing is being made for the “Buyant-Ukhaa” and the 7th micro-district, a 1,152-flat apartment town near the “Yaarmag” bridge, the “New Yaarmag” micro-district, creating fundamental engineering infrastructure in seven areas, and constructing apartments in “ger” areas.
In frames of the “Street” project, financed by the DBM, 20 cross roads have been expanded, 15 new roads have been put into use, feasibility studies for two highways across the city have been completed, so a secondary financing has been given for the engineering design for the highway along the Tuul River, he said. 
Main part of the investments from the DBM for supporting industries in the capital city has been devoted to financing of 888 selected projects on import substitution. For instance, 39 billion Togrog has been given to 116 projects on small- and middle-sized productions, 140 billion--to 110 enterprises of the agriculture and light industrial sectors, and 90 billion--to 85 projects on backing the export, the DBM said. There are no obstacles in receiving this financing, Monkhbat emphasized.

Mongolian Sailors to Practice Maritime Transport
By B. Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) The Mongolian sailors trained in the Institute of Maritime and Fisheries of South Korea will be working in Mongolia-S.Korean joint sea transport company to transport mineral products of Mongolia, starting from this November.
Mongolia joined the International Maritime Organization in 1996, since then has ratified 23 Conventions and additional documents adopted by the organization. The Minister of Road and Transport of Mongolia A.Gansukh presented a bill on joining Maritime Labour Convention (2006) and International convention on Salvage (1989) to the Speaker on October 13. The Ministry sent ten trainees to the S.Korean Institute of Maritime and Fisheries for two years of training of sailorship, which is to complete this year. The fees for trainings and practices have been funded by Busan Technological Institute for Maritime and Fisheries. The Mongolian graduates will practice maritime transport while working on a ship to carry Mongolian mineral products, transported by Russian Trans-Siberian railroads, to a sea through Rajin-Sonbong of North Korea. S.Korean thermal stations and power companies express their interests in receiving coal from Mongolia. 

Market Prices of Agricultural Products
By B. Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) The research into prices of agricultural products of September 2014 says that Uvs, Dundgovi, Bayankhongor, Govisumber, Dornogovi and Khovd aimags offer the lowest prices of cowhide of two-meters or longer, which is 25-30 thousand togrogs, while Arkhangai, Orkhon, Tov, Khentii and Selenge aimags and Ulaanbaatar city offer the highest--50-58 thousand togrogs.
The average price of horse hide is lowest 15-20 thousand togrogs in Bayankhongor, Govisumber, Khuvsgul, Dornogovi and Selenge aimag, the highest is 25-28 thousand togrogs in Zavkhan, Ovorkhangai, Dundgovi, Omnogovi, Khentii aimags and Ulaanbaatar.
A kilogramme of goat white cashmere is in its lowest 50-59 thousand togrogs in Arkhangai, Sukhbaatar and Khuvsgul aimags, in its highest 66-68 thousand togrogs in Bayankhongor, Khovd, Ovorkhangai aimags and Ulaanbaatar.  

Freight and Passengers in Statistics
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) In the first nine months of this year, 42.8 million tons of freight and 252.6 million passengers (duplicated counting) were carried by all kinds of transport in Mongolia.
A volume of the freight increased 12.1 million tons or 39.4%, whereas a number of the passengers declined 6.3 million people or 2.4% against the previous year.
Some 14,970 thousand tons of freight and 2,577.3 million passengers (duplicated counting) were carried by the railway transport. A volume of the freight carried decreased by 535.6 thousand tons or 3.5%, a number of the passengers--by 325.3 thousand people or 11.2% against the previous year.
The revenue from the railway transport reached 312.0 billion Togrog, decreasing 1.7 billion Togrog or 0.5% against 2013.
Some 2,648 tons of freight and 529.9 thousand passengers (duplicated counting) were carried by air transport. Compared with the same period of the previous year, an amount of the freight carried dropped by 469.6 tons or 15.1%, a number of the passengers carried also decreased by 78.4 thousand people or 12.9%.
The revenue from the air transport reached 197.9 billion Togrog, increasing MNT 12.6 billion or 6.8% over the same period of 2013.

World Bank and Ministry of Education support early childhood education in Mongolia
Ulaanbaatar, October 13, 2014 (World Bank) -- For over 20 years the World Bank has supported the Mongolian government’s educations reforms and has implemented a total of 46.8 mln dollars grant to the education sector.
The World Bank and the Ministry of Education and Science began the implementation of the Early Childhood Education Project with the grant from the Global Partnership for Education of 10 million dollars in 2012.
The aim of the Global Partnership for Education – Early Childhood Education (GPE-ECE) Project is to provide access to early childhood education for children in disadvantaged communities and reduce the social inequality in Mongolia. This aim of involving herders’ children in early childhood education is being achieved by increasing access to preschool education, creating alternative preschool classes, improving teaching and learning environment, and providing learning materials, furniture, equipment and toys.
“We are delighted to be assisting Mongolia in educating its younger generation” said James Anderson, the Country Manager of the World Bank to Mongolia. “The Early Childhood Education Project strives to ensure that all children have access to education, that all can share opportunities for prosperity, a key goal of the World Bank Group.”
One hundred ger-kindergartens were supplied and distributed to rural areas of 100 soums of 14 aimags with large populations of herders’ children and where the pre-school enrollment rate is especially low. Each year 2,500 children have benefited and ger kindergartens are providing a convenient way for children of herder families to get early childhood education.
“The mobile ger kindergartens have become an important tool to increase the preschool enrollment in rural areas. The newly built kindergartens in Ulaanbaatar city and the ger-kindergartens will help children develop the skills to succeed throughout their education and throughout their lives.” said the team leader of the project Prateek Tandon.
Under this project, 17 new kindergartens with the capacity of 100 children each are being built in 8 districts of Ulaanbaatar. Furniture, kitchen and other equipment, indoor and outdoor playground toys, carpets and bedding are also supplied to the newly built kindergartens.
Presently, the State Professional Commission has approved the completed buildings of 10 kindergartens that began their operations; the remaining 7 will be completed by end of October this year. These kindergartens will provide a child-friendly environment and offer high quality learning conditions for over 1,700 children in Ulaanbaatar including remote districts  such as Bagakhangai, Baganuur and Nalaikh.
Initial survey results have shown the satisfaction of local communities. Teachers, rural soum governors, parents of the students and remote herders have expressed strong support for the project’s interventions and the improvement of the delivery of these services.

Hydro-Metallurgy Plant Opens in Erdenet
By B. Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) Achit Ikht LLC opened on October 11 the biggest Hydro-metallurgic plant in Mongolia. This plant is capable of producing 10,000 tonnes of LME (London Metal Exchange) – A grade cathodal copper a year.
The capacity is estimated to be four times bigger than that of the Mongolian-American joint Erdmin plant. The piot processes of the new plant have been running since July, after three years of construction of USD 59 million.
The plant is processing lower content ore (0.32 percent copper) of Erdenet plant, and producing copper cathodes with 99.9 percent of copper content. The exports are already underway.

Government Resolves to Take Back Bill on 2015 State Budget of Mongolia
October 14 (infomongolia.com) The irregular Cabinet meeting of the Government was held today on October 14, 2014 and it was resolved to take back the bill on 2015 State Budget.
The decision was made due to Government restructuring issues being discussed these days, which anticipates to be revised at nearest plenary session of the State Great Khural (Parliament) and re-submit to the Parliament as soon as new structure of the Government of Mongolia will be approved along with new Ministers appointments.
The draft bill on 2015 State Budget and relevant regulations were submitted to the Parliament on October 01, 2014.
Related:

About house prices in statistics
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) In the third quarter of this year, the index of apartment price in the city’s six districts increased by 2.2 times against end of 2010, by 10.2% against the previous year, and by 2.8% against end of this year, but there was no difference against the previous quarter.
Compared same period of the previous year, the apartment prices rose by 14.0% in Khan-Uul district, 11.7%--in Bayangol district, 10.0%--in Bayanzurkh district, 9.9%--in Songinokhairkhan district, 9.1%--in Sukhbaatar district, and 6.0%--in Chingeltei district. This price increased by 5.8% in Khan-Uul district, 3.0%--in Bayangol district, 2.9%--in Songinokhairkhan and Bayanzurkh districts, 2.8%--in Sukhbaatar district, whereas it declined by 0.5% in Chingeltei district against the end of the previous year.
Moreover, the price of apartments increased by 2.1% in Khan-Uul district, 0.5%--in Bayangol and Sukhbaatar districts, whereas it decreased by 0.2%--in Bayanzurkh, 1.0%--in Songinokhairkhan, and by 1.3%--in Chingeltei district against the previous quarter.
In the first three quarter of this year, the prices of apartments put into use before 1970 increased by 1.6-12.1%, the apartments put into use between 1970 and 2001--by 7.8-14.5%, and the apartments built after 2002--by 10.9-15.4% against the previous year.
The prices of apartments built before 1970 declined by 0.2-2.0% in Songinokhairkhan, Chingeltei, Bayanzurkh, Bayangol and  Sukhbaatar districts, whereas it increased by 2.0% in Khan-Uul district in first three quarters of this year against the previous quarter.

Stock exchange news for October 14
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) At the Stock Exchange trades on Tuesday, a total of 36 thousand and 155 shares of 16 JSCs were traded costing MNT 13 million 804 thousand and 171.00.
"Khokh gan” /21 thousand and 300 units/, “Genco tour bureau” /10 thousand and 100 units/, “E-trans logistics” /1,801 units/, “State Department Store” /749 units/ and "Merex” /694 units/ were the most actively traded in terms of trading volume, in terms of trading value were "Gobi” (MNT three million 562 thousand and 990), "Khkokh gan” (MNT two million 491 thousand and 500), “Atar-Orgoo” (MNT two million and 244 thousand), "UB-BUK” (MNT two million and 152 thousand) and "Khasu-mandal” (MNT one million 287 thousand and 400).
The total market capitalization was set at MNT one trillion 578 billion 080 million 754 thousand and 715. The Index of Top-20 JSCs was 15,703.30, increasing 49.78 units or 0.32% against the previous day.

About training in Gobi-Altai
By N. Khaliun
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) A training themed "Strengthening capacities of members of youth non-governmental organizations” ran last week in Gobi-Altai province.
It was organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) together with a “Center for Civic Education” NGO in frames of establishment of the Center for Youth Development in this aimag.
The training brought together some 30 representatives from the Union of Scouts, the Gobi-Altai's Association of Journalists, Youth Union and other organizations. 

WB manager for Mongolia attends kindergarten opening
By B. Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar, October 14 (MONTSAME) The country manager for Mongolia of the World Bank James Anderson participated on October 13 in an opening ceremony of the kindergarten 42, funded by Global Partnership for Education – Early Childhood Education (GPE-ECE) project, in respect of upcoming International Children’s Day – November 20.
Present at the event were the Vice minister of education and sciences B.Urgamaltsetseg along with guests and children.
The Government of Mongolia has been working to meet the challenge of ensuring schooling for all while addressing the pressures posed by a surge in fertility rates. This project helps by providing access to early childhood education for children in disadvantaged communities and seeks to reduce social inequality in Mongolia. A total of USD 12.12 million is dedicated to finance the project in the period of 2012 – 2015 in building 17 kindergartens in Ulaanbaatar, as well as establishing and equipping ger kindergartens in 100 soums in 14 aimags.
This project is one of several initiatives of the Government and the World Bank to support education in Mongolia over the years, noted James Anderson and added that the Rural Education and Development (READ) project has provided classroom libraries and teacher training on literacy to all rural primary schools throughout the nation.  
“Similarly, the Global Education for All - Fast Track Initiative upgraded education quality at all levels of schooling and ensured that education services can be accessed by children in all parts of the country, including rural areas, and by poor and vulnerable groups.  The Community Initiative Funds under the Sustainable Livelihoods Project is also assisting in the development of the education sector, upgrading facilities and allowing more rural children from nomadic families to go to school full time.  We hope to continue this partnership in the future with the Education Quality Reform project, focusing on school level planning” said Mr. Anderson.
He ended his remarks by expressing his thanks on behalf of the World Bank to the Ministry of Education and Science and to the project team for the Global Partnership for Education – Early Childhood Education project for making the kindergarten a reality.  He hopes that Kindergarten 42 will bring many years of learning and opportunity for the children who go there.
Link to article

Comments

Popular posts from this blog