Mongolia Brief October 23, 2014
Program
to Celebrate 375th Anniversary of Ulaanbaatar City
October 23
(infomongolia.com) In the frameworks of celebrating the 375th anniversary of
founding the Capital City - Ulaanbaatar, the Mayor’s Office published a Program
of events to be organized until October 29, 2014.
Program to Celebrate the 375th Anniversary
of Ulaanbaatar City
Thursday, October 23
10:00 am
- “Capital
Ulaanbaatar”, “History of Ulaanbaatar City Construction”, “Night of UB” and
“The Heart of Country” book releases
- “Dornyn
Sondor Ulaanbaatar” song debut dedicated to the development of the capital city
Where: Blue
Moon Center
Friday, October 24
09:00 am -
03:00 pm
- “Capital City
of Mongolia From Migration to Urbanization” International Scientific Conference
Where: Blue Sky
Tower, “Diamond” hall
10:00 am
- Oath taking
ceremony for public servants
Where:
Children’s Palace
11:00 am
- “Wonders of
Crafting” joint art exhibition by students and teachers
Where:
Mongolian National Modern Art Gallery
Saturday, October 25
10:00 am
- Secondary school
children will be acquainting with some state organizations
Where: To leave
from Chinggis Square
11:00 am
- Photo
exhibition opening brought from Pyotr Kuzmich Kozlov (1863-1935) Memorial
Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Where:
Ulaanbaatar City Museum
- Presentation
of stone statues delivered from Bogd Khan Palace Museum to Ulaanbaatar City
Museum
- Copy of
“Niislel Khuree” exhibits created by D.Manibadar and preserve procedure of
original artifacts at Ulaanbaatar City
Museum
11:00 am
- “Capital
City” Darts Competition
Where: City
Administration, Sports Hall
Monday, October 27
10:30 am
-
“Prize-Winning Households and Family” award ceremony
Where:
“Khangarid” Palace
10:30 am
- “Capital City
of Mongolia From Migration to Urbanization” Photo Exhibition Opening
Where: National
Museum of Mongolia until November 05, 2014
11:00 am
- “Development
of Capital City” Photo Exhibition Opening
Where: City
Administration, 2nd floor
11:00 am
- “Ulaanbaatar
City’s Economic Development Strategy” project discussion
Where: City
Administration, “Citizen” Hall
05:00 pm
- Ceremonial
Meeting and Reception for Governors of City Khoroos
Where: City
Administration, “Citizen” Hall
07:00 pm
- “Beautiful
Ulaanbaatar” concert
Where:
Ulaanbaatar Ensemble
Tuesday, October 28
10:00 am
- “Honored
Citizen of the City” medal award ceremony
Where: City
Administration, “B” Hall
11:00 am
- State Order
and Medal award ceremony
Where: City
Administration, “A” Hall
12:00 pm
- Prize award
ceremony to frontier citizens and employees
Where: City
Administration, “B” Hall
02:00 pm
- Traditional
Wrestling competition dedicated to the 375th Anniversary
Where:
Wrestling Palace
07:00 pm
- Prize Award
Ceremony to Top Entities in Construction Sector
Where:
“Bayangol” Restaurant
Wednesday, October 29
08:00 am
- “History and
Culture of Ulaanbaatar” class at all secondary schools
09:00 am
- “Ulaanbaatar
in Photo” Mobile Photo Exhibition
Where: Across
the City
11:00 am
- Respect
paying ceremony to “Turtle” monument
Where: “Turtle”
monument, the place where the first ground-breaking ceremony was held to found
Ulaanbaatar
11:40 am
- Respect
paying ceremony to Chinggis Khaan Monument, Capital City Flag Raising Ceremony
Where: Chinggis
Square
12:00 pm -
10:10 pm
- Events
dedicated to the 375th Anniversary of Ulaanbaatar (City Parade Show and
Cultural Performances)
Where: Chinggis
Square
01:30 pm
- “City Big
Sale - 375” exhibition and trade fair
- “Food Taste”,
pavilions
Where: Chinggis
Square
01:30 pm
- Reception of
senior public servants used to work at the City Administration
Where:
“Khangarid” Palace
03:00 pm
- Ceremonial
Meeting and Children Chorus Gala Concert dedicated to the 375th Anniversary
Where: Central
Cultural Palace
07:00 pm
- “My Country”
Concert dedicated to the 375th Anniversary
Where: Central
Cultural Palace
08:00 pm -
10:00 pm
- “Big City
Evening” Cultural performance by rock and pop singers and bands
Where: Chinggis
Square
10:00 pm
- Fireworks
Where: Across
the City
Related:
Program for the 375th
anniversary of Ulaanbaatar – news.mn,
October 23
“Where
are They” exhibition opens
October 23
(news.mn) Lantuun Dohio (Лантуун дохио) an NGO network working against human
trafficking is to display an exhibition against child abuse, partnering with
Tusgal (Тусгал) photography group, on October 23-25th.
The exhibition
will include photographs about child abuse that range in meaning.
The exhibition
is free of charge and open to everyone. A number of events including
educational sessions, films, counseling, community services, a concert and
talkss will also be conducted throughout the three-day exhibition.
At the event,
the Brothers' and Sisters' Union of Mongolia (an organization working with
homeless children), the disabled childrens' NGO Eltei Ertonts (Ээлтэй
ертөнц), Beautiful Hearts Campaign NGO, Lantuun Dohio NGO and Uulen Khuu (Үүлэн
хүү) comics project will work together to share information and resources with
the public.
The exhibition
will be on display on the 3rd floor of Art House Center, near Tuul
Restaurant, from October 23 to 25, between 10 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Erdenet
JSC will pay MNT447.5 billion in taxes which is higher than OT LLC
October 23
(business-mongolia.com) According to the statement by Ministry of Finance,
Erdenet JSC, the oldest Mongolia-Russian joint copper-mine will pay
MNT447.5 billion in taxes. In the other hand, a mine that has more sales and
production – Oyu Tolgoi LLC – will pay MNT324.3 billion.
The reason,
according to the ministry, is due to the tax stability clauses and being not
liable for progressive royalty as stated in the Investment Agreement.
Also, the state
budget will receive MNT98 billion in the form of dividend from its interests in
partially state-owned companies. Out of this, Erdenet JSC will pay MNT70
billion, and majority-state owned companies will contribute MNT336 billion.
Bumpy
Roads for Tourism
By Terrence
Edwards
October 23
(Mongolian Economy) Mongolia is seen by locals as a remote paradise full of
splendors that only the motherland can provide. It’s a country rich with
culture that its children are proud to share. Too bad that negligence from
government keeps the industry a blip on the economic charts.
Sustainable
tourism provides jobs in local communities and encourages more spending there.
It’s also an economic incentive to help preserve cherished vanishing cultures,
such as Mongolia’s nomadic traditions. Conversely, mining tends to benefit only
a small portion of a population. Too much reliance on resources typically
results in appreciations of the local currency and deteriorating
competitiveness in all other sectors – a phenomenon known as “Dutch” disease.
By most
accounts, tourism in Mongolia has been a drag in 2014. Government figures have
shown that the number of people entering on tourist visas was about 8.5 percent
less in the first seven months of 2014 than last year. That total number of
visitors during the 2014 period was 210,587.
However,
because many people enter the country to look for work or other reasons
unrelated to tourisms, that figure alone is unreliable. Financial reports from
the publically traded Genco Tour Bureau show earnings were down 22% for the
first half of the year. Tsedevdamba Oyungerel, Mongolia’s Minister of Tourism,
Sport and Culture, confirms that tourism is down from past years, saying “July
was quite a successful month. But only July. June wasn’t successful and August
was not good either.”
Roughin’ it
The services
found in Mongolian tourism leave most travelers wanting more. A lack of roads
makes travel overly long and sometimes perilous at night when there is
little-to-no visibility. Although the government plans to have paved roads
built between the capital and every province next year, there still won’t
always be routes between provinces.
“The quality of roads is really bad—its bumpy with many potholes. Really government should do something about the roads,” said Unbrakh Tsetsenbileg, a sales manager who has also worked as a tour guide during her four years at Juulchin World Tours.
“The quality of roads is really bad—its bumpy with many potholes. Really government should do something about the roads,” said Unbrakh Tsetsenbileg, a sales manager who has also worked as a tour guide during her four years at Juulchin World Tours.
Air travel is
also unreliable at best, she said. It is common to book flights weeks in
advance, only to learn the day of your flight that it has been cancelled.
Oyungerel and
Tsetsenbileg both think tourist companies must find ways to intrigue more
potential travellers through marketing and promotion. That’s why the Tourism
Ministry has spent most of this year’s budget on its partnership with the ITB
Berlin trade show to help build up a network with travel companies around the
world.
But actions
like last year’s attempt by the Ulaanbaatar Citizens’ Council to ban the use of
foreign languages on signs outside buildings are hurting the industry.
Oyungerel said she took a loud stand against the movement that arose because
locals felt their capital looked too much like “a foreign country.” Her
argument that the signs were helpful to foreign guests prevailed.
One of the
country’s largest tourism draws, the Mongol Rally, fared less well amid similar
hostility, however. The event’s organiser, The Adventurist, will for the first
time since launching the driving marathon 10 years ago end it at a new
location, according to event manager Katy Willings. 2015’s brave motorists will
travel 10,000 miles from Britain across Europe and Eurasia to finish at the
capital of another Mongol nation, Ulan Ude in Russia’s Buryatia Republic.
Once a significant
source of revenue for the government, this year will also be the first time
rally cars will be shipped out of Mongolia back to Europe, rather than donated
or sold. “New policy: no car left behind. We’re never going to import another
car to Mongolia,” said Willings.
Local
newspapers decried the Mongol Rally as a public nuisance and an excuse for super-charged
young foreign travelers to leave junked cars in the developing country. To the
contrary, Willings says the cars are all refurbished and must pass inspection
before being sold or donated. Proceeds from sales that exceeded The
Adventurist’s own expenses were donated to charity, said Willings.
Strained relations with the Mongolian government made organizing the event more trouble than it was worth, she said, so participants will not even have to drive through Mongolia anymore to finish. For Mongolia, that means no customs duty, VAT, excise tax, and sales tax on hundreds of cars. Worse still are the lost dollars that would have been spent by the rallyers in Mongolia during their travels.
Strained relations with the Mongolian government made organizing the event more trouble than it was worth, she said, so participants will not even have to drive through Mongolia anymore to finish. For Mongolia, that means no customs duty, VAT, excise tax, and sales tax on hundreds of cars. Worse still are the lost dollars that would have been spent by the rallyers in Mongolia during their travels.
Rolling the dice on casinos
Oyungerel at
the Tourism Ministry is now hoping to legalise gambling to create new
attractions for the country. She says she expects to see parliament vote on a
law that would allow for a horse racing track. She is also preparing a second
bill that would allow for a casino.
“The legalization of gambling, if done in a responsible way, would be a major positive for Mongolia’s economic growth and create an industry that is larger than the current mining based economy,” said Harris Kupperman, chairman of the real estate development firm Mongolia Growth Group. “With over one billion potential customers in China alone, the legalisation of gambling would allow Mongolia’s tourist sector to mirror Macao’s growth over the past decade.”
“The legalization of gambling, if done in a responsible way, would be a major positive for Mongolia’s economic growth and create an industry that is larger than the current mining based economy,” said Harris Kupperman, chairman of the real estate development firm Mongolia Growth Group. “With over one billion potential customers in China alone, the legalisation of gambling would allow Mongolia’s tourist sector to mirror Macao’s growth over the past decade.”
And The
Adventurist, which encourages its clients to get “lost and in trouble,” hasn’t
abandoned Mongolia either. It will continue to host the Mongol Derby in
Mongolia – a 1,000 kilometer horse race that replicates the journey of the
postal riders that delivered messages for the 13th Century Mongol Empire. The
event employs herders to provide the horses for the race. Mongolia’s horse culture
also lends more affection to the event for Mongolians, said Willings.
But the real
challenge Oyungerel and tour groups will have to manage will be improving the
industry without wiping away the rugged veneer that makes Mongolia such a
special place to visit in the first place. “There is a beauty about that,” says
Oyungerel, about the uncertainty in Mongolia that all at once is a cause for
frustration and awe for visitors. “Those who travel to Mongolia should expect
some spontaneity. If they live by a set schedule they should come to Mongolia
and leave behind their schedule for some days.”
Inclusive
Economic Growth
By D.
Jargalsaikhan
October 23
(Mongolian Economy) We Mongolians have translated the phrase "inclusive
economic growth" to mean accessible, wide, involved, and inclusive
economic growth, and make use of it when discussing economic and social
government policies. As it means the equal opportunity for representatives from
all levels of society to participate in economic growth it is more appropriate
to call it inclusive economic growth.
Equal
opportunity first and foremost means equal opportunities for market entry, use
of resources, and the same business environment. Inclusive growth means finding
jobs to increase the incomes of poor and low-income citizens and as such is a
relatively long term concept.
Stable economic
growth requires inclusive growth. Inclusive economic growth is not an easy
process because economic growth sometimes brings negative side effects such as
corruption and significant differences in income. Mongolia currently is a clear
example of this. Our amazing economic growth of 17% in 2011 was enough to
astound the world but the livings standards of the citizens did not rise
accordingly. The percentage of people living on less than $1.25 is 27%, having
dropped only 2% since 2000. Even though the economy is almost fully dependent
on the mining, price, and sales of mineral resources only 5% of the work force
is employed in that sector. Roughly half the population of working age is
unemployed and the gap between the rich and poor is steadily increasing.
Ulaanbaatar is home the more than half the nation's population and yet 60% of
its residents do not have access to basic sanitation. And because the economy
is "tripping" with stalled mining growth, increased inflation, and a
devalued currency the ranks of the poor are looking to expand once again.
The gap between
rich and poor is usually high for countries in the process of switching to
democracy and a market economy but it is assumed that it will decrease with
economic growth. Nobel Prize winning economist Kuznets said in 1955 that this
gap provided the rich with the opportunity to amass enough wealth and expand their
businesses and through this investment the economy would grow. President of the
World Bank Jim Yong Kim recently announced that poor citizens must have an
opportunity to share in the economic benefits. Only by sharing in these
benefits will the living standards of all levels of society go up not just
those of the poorest citizens (40% of the population) or certain wealthy
citizens. Sharing in economic benefits means increasing the incomes of the
poor, creating jobs, as well as providing access to education, food, water, and
medical services.
The main issue
is in how. The answer provided by the World Bank states that this is possible
by increasing human capital, establishing a good social benefits structure,
creating jobs, rewarding private enterprise, as well as creating and following
stable financial and environmental policies.
The answer from
the European Development Bank can be seen from the conclusions of the
"Transition Report 2013". It says that for countries switching to
democracy and a market economy to reach the living standards of Western Europe
the effectiveness of the reforms needs to be increased, in order to do this
they need to enter into international integration, development domestic
leadership, start a wider movement for fair and democratic society. The result
of this study done in many different countries shows that the effectiveness of
the transition is directly dependent upon the level of democracy, human capital
development, and economic participation.
In any case,
researchers in development organizations agree that in order to provide
inclusive economic growth there are four factors that must occur
simultaneously: accelerate political and economic reforms, strengthen the
reforms of political and economic institutions, invest in human capital, and
provide equal opportunities for economic participation in all levels of
society.
Of these
factors, in Mongolia the most challenging one, which is lagging behind the
others, is the performance ability of state run organizations. The root of most
development issues lies in the fact that the political parties that win
elections though corruption and rise to political power are not able to manage
other affairs quite so well. Mongolia is in dire need of a wide, public
movement to fight corruption, and hold accountable those parties responsible
for the abuse of public funds for their own benefits.
For inclusive
growth Mongolia needs to support private enterprise, and put a stop to the
multiple government subsidies and price ceilings, and implement a fair, simple
and predictable economic and legal environment. Inclusive growth will be
present in Mongolia when everybody has an equal rights and opportunities to
receive education, run a business in line with personal aspirations, as well as
work hard and amass wealth.
Only at that
time will President Ts. Elbegdorj's words to stop the "government skimming
all the cream and citizens to fighting over the remains" from his "To
an Intelligent State" talk come true. It is right that every citizen
should participate in economic growth.
2014
Harvesting Finished across Country
October 23
(infomongolia.com) This year's weather for agricultural industry was pleasant
and the Ministry of Industry and Agriculture announces that the 2014 harvest
across the country was finished on October 20, 2014.
The preliminary
results of the 2014 harvest shows high performances compare to previous years
and it was collected a total of 491.7 thousand tons of crop from 310.2 thousand
ha, of which 465 thousand tons of wheat, 161.0 thousand tons of potato from
13.3 thousand ha, and 102.5 thousand tons of other vegetables from 8.3 thousand
ha respectively.
In other words,
an average quintal or centner (100 kg) of crop collected is 15.8 ql. Per ha;
121.0 ql. of potato, and 123.3 ql. of other vegetables.
Moreover,
officials say 1,250 soldiers and over 800 students were involved in 2014
harvesting and it was preserved 42.3 thousand tons of seeds for 2015
cultivation, and supplied 28.5 thousand tons of crop to Agriculture Production
Support Fund (Crop Production Supporting Fund) and over 250 thousand tons to
mill factories.
Permanent
Mission to UN Holds Discussion about Co-Operatives
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 23 (MONTSAME) The Permanent Representative Office of Mongolia to the
United Nations (UN) held an event themed “Development Goals Beyond 2015 and
Co-operatives” on October 21 in New York, USA.
Co-organized
with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and International
Co-operatives Alliance (ICA), the event gathered representatives from over 20
countries that actively conduct Co-operatives such as Brazil, Finland, Canada,
Israel, Italy, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa, Japan, Malaysia, Sweden and
Switzerland, and from the FAO, the ECOSOC, the International Labour
Organization, and the World Food Programme. The permanent representative of
Mongolia to the UN, ambassador O.Och has chaired the event.
Globally, some
250 million people make their living based on co-operatives, which are
considered to be the most human-centered and democratic form of agricultural
farming.
The
participants of this meeting solidly agreed that co-operatives greatly contributed
in implementations of the Millenium Development Goals and that it has to be
reflected to the Development goals beyond 2015. They have decided to seek
possibilities to include the matters of co-operatives to the document’s
sections about approaches to implement goals on reducing poverty, and on
agriculture, food security and sustainable development, or to coordinate them
to the issues of development financing.
In frames of
the UNGA resolution on Roles of Co-operatives in Social Development, initiated
by Mongolia, year 2012 was announced as the Year of International
Co-operatives, and this year has been named as the Year to promote Family
Farming, by the FAO.
Minister
of Labour Works at “11 11” Center
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
October 23 (MONTSAME) Some 39 thousand and 100 people have been employed in
frames of a goal of the Ministry of Labour to provide about 50 thousand people
with job places, and some 150 thousand people have been provided with temporary
vacancies.
It was said by
Ya.Sanjmyatav, the Minister of Labour, at the “11 11” center on Wednesday.
Moreover, 6,250 people had professions, and they have been employed in various
companies through trilateral contracts, within a programme on preparing trained
work force.
In first
quarter of 2012, the unemployment rate was 10.3%, and it declined to 7.3% this
year thanks to maintaining a policy on augmenting job places, the Minister
said, adding that the number of people working abroad has decreased.
Regarding the
salary and pension matters, the Minister reported that the minimum size of
salary is MNT 192 thousand so far, and this size will be re-fixed in the next year
by a decision of the Trilateral national committee of labour and social
agreement.
Employers
usually require its new employees to have 2-3-year work experience, so new
graduated employees from higher education organizations always face the problem
to be employed.
“In times of
high competitiveness at the labour market, companies require high skills from
employees, so they choose those who had work experience of many years in order
to run their business successfully. This is not unfair to blame them for it,”
the Minister emphasized. Then he reported that the Ministry is implementing
some programmes for giving work experience to newly graduated people.
Speaker
Z.Enkhbold to Visit China
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
October 23 (MONTSAME) The Speaker of parliament Z.Enkhbold will leave for China
on October 27 to pay an official visit to the country.
In frames of
the forthcoming visit, the Speaker will sign a document on strengthening the
permanent cooperation between the legislative bodies to the countries.
Cooperation contracts between the governmental organizations and entities will
be inked as well.
The Speaker has
underlined an importance of quick and effective works of the cabinet for
realizing agreements which were signed between the countries during high-level
visits.
Nextgen
to Hold Discussion on Mongolia’s Economic Opportunities
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 23 (MONTSAME) A discussion titled “Developing China and Mongolia-China
Relations” is to be held Thursday at 7.00 pm in Blue Sky Hotel. The event was
initiated by “NextGen”, the young professionals’ union, and will be attended by
M.Batchimeg MP and economist B.Dolgoon.
This year has
been a remarkable year for Mongolia’s foreign relations, as the president of
China Xi Jinping and the president of Russia Vladimir Putin have made visits to
our country. Member of the Parliament M.Batchimeg will share her views on the
contexts of these visits and the perspectives of Mongolian foreign policy
development.
Mongolia is
highly dependent on the economies of its two neighboring countries, having been
performing nearly 80 percent of the total international trades with China (61%)
and Russia (15%) by the third quarter of 2014. On the changes that occur in
China’s economy, and opportunities they provide for Mongolia, the economist B.Dolgoon
will exchange ideas at the discussion.
Announcement
of the appointment of a new independent member of the Board of Governors of
Golomt Bank
Ulaanbaatar
(Mongolia), 21 October 2014. (Golomt Bank)
The Board of
Governors of Golomt Bank LLC (“Golomt Bank”) today announced the appointment of
Mr. Antonio López Abelló as an Independent Governor, effective immediately. Mr.
López Abelló’s appointment, expands the Board of Governors of Golomt Bank to
six directors, two of them independent.
Mr. López
Abelló’s appointment was formalized following the approval by the Bank of
Mongolia, Mongolia’s central bank.
Mr. López
Abelló is a career banker with two decades of experience with leading
investment banks in Singapore and London. At present, Mr. López Abelló is
the managing partner of Turms Advisors LLP, a Singapore-based investment
banking firm, which specializes in providing financial advice to corporations,
institutional investors and high net worth individuals focused on Southeast
Asia & Mongolia. Prior to founding Turms Advisors in 2009, Mr. López
Abelló held senior roles in fixed-income and equity structuring at Credit
Suisse, Goldman Sachs and Paribas.
Mr. López
Abelló is in possession of a Law degree from the University of Barcelona
(Spain) and an MBA from IESE Business School. He is a qualified lawyer
(Barcelona Bar) and a certified financial analyst (CEFFAS).
Peace
Studies in XXI Century and Mongolia
October 23
(infomongolia.com) The First International Scientific Conference themed
"Peace Studies in the XXI Century and Mongolia" will be organized in
Ulaanbaatar at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Economic Cooperation on
October 24, 2014.
The event is
being organized welcoming celebration of the 70th Anniversary of UNESCO in 2014
and the World Science Day for Peace and Development (November 10).
This
International Conference will be focused on current studies of International
Peace as well as roles and participations of the international organizations
such as the United Nations, state and peace in Northeast Asia, and Mongolia’s
current status and development in peace research.
At the
Conference scholars and experts from Northeast Asia Regional Peace Building
Institute (Japan), National University of Buryatia (Russia), Canadian Mennonite
University (Canada), Northeast Asia Regional Peace Building Institute (South
Korea), Liaoning University (China) and Mongolian representatives of Academy of
Sciences, Mongolian National Commission for UNESCO, Ministry of Defense,
Institute for Strategic Studies, and National University of Mongolia will be attending
and the opening remarks will be presented by Resident Representative of the
UNDP in Mongolia Mrs. Sezin Sinanoglu.
Related:
“Peace
Studies in XXI Century and Mongolia” Conference Approaches – Montsame, October 23
Kern
von Hagen, D.Orgilmaa awarded with education sector’s order and honorary
October 23 (Oyu
Tolgoi) On 14 October, Oyu Tolgoi commissioned the Polytechnic College
school building and dormitory in Dalanzadgad, South Gobi. This facility for 180
engineering and trade students includes a new classroom building and a
dormitory for 108 students, as well as a power substation. Oyu Tolgoi spent
US$3.5 million on this project. During the handover ceremony, the company's
Senior training manager Kern von Hagen was awarded with the Mongolian Senior
Teachers Association award - Order of “Teacher’s Merit" and Training
department superintendent D.Orgilmaa was awarded with honorary title
"Honorary education sector service worker." They were awarded these
honours in recognition of their valuable contribution to development and reform
of Mongolian education sector.
Tsogtbaatar
Wins Silver at World Judo Championship
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 23 (MONTSAME) At the Junior World judo Championship began on October 22
in Florida of the USA, a Mongolian judoka Ts.Tsogtbaatar won silver medal in
his category men’s 60 kg, on the first day of the tournament.
The same day,
B.Amartuvshin and G.Battulga both grabbed bronze medals in men’s 55 kg
category. Mongolia has sent judokas of the national junior team, who are
coached by trainers D.Batsaikhan and Sh.Tsevelmaa.
A
bronze-medalist of World Championship, and a silver and bronze medalist of
Asian Championship Ts.Tsogtbaatar had a bye at his first bout, and then
defeated Carvalo Vittor form Brazil with Yuko, and had a clear win over the
next bouts with Gonzalez Steven from Puerto Rico and Sadigov Mekhman from
Azerbaijan.
He reached the
final match by beating a South Korean opponent at the semi-final, and was
defeated by Garrigoz Francisco from Spain at the finals.
N.Altantsetseg
wins gold at Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games
October 23
(news.mn) Mongolian judoka N.Altantsetseg won the Mongolian team's first gold
medal in the women's -78 kg event at the Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games, on
October 22nd.
N.Altantsetseg
defeated Thailand's Nantharak Methawadee in the final tournament for the gold
medal on the fourth day of the Games. On the same day, L.Erdenebileg in men's
90 kg event and B.Khashtsetseg in the women's 70 kg event won bronze medals.
In addition to
Wednesday's victories, so far, Mongolian judokas have triumphed with a silver
medal won by B.Uugankhuu in the men's 60 kg event, bronze by A.Munkhbat in the
men's 66 kg event, L.Erdenebileg's bronze in the men's 90 kg, B.Bolortungalag's
bronze in the women's 48 kg event, and B.Khashtsetseg earned bronze in the
women's 70 kg event. Z.Ganbaatar won bronze in the men's 50 m rifle prone and
G.Tsogtgerel took bronze in women's shot put F57, bringing Mongolia's
medal count to eight, so far.
Mongolian
shooter Z.Ganbaatar, who won bronze on the first day of the Games is the first
Mongolian athlete to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympics.
Mongolia
to provide over 100,000 tons of beef to Russia
October 23
(news.mn) Mongolia is ready to increase beef export to Russia by up to 10
times, making plans to export nearly 110 thousand tons.
Currently, the
country provides 10 to 11 thousand tons of beef to Russia per year.
If Mongolia can
provide this amount of beef, it would be the of Russia's main beef providers.
Mongolia exported such amounts of meat to Russia in the past, but exports were
halted following a ban in response to the spread of infectious animal disease
in Mongolia in 2010.
Russia believes
that Mongolia's meat product exports will fill in the gap for high cost meat
exports from Brazil and South America. If Mongolia can provide 100,000
tons of meat to Russia, it would make up almost 15 to 20 percent of Russia's
meat imports.
Latin American
countries currently dominate 80 percent of Russia's meat market.
Related:
Mongolia to increase its beef
exports to Russia tenfold – UB Post,
October 23
Being
LGBT in Asia: Mongolia Country Report Launched
October 23
(infomongolia.com) On October 22, 2014, the launching event for Being LGBT in
Asia: Mongolia Country Report was held at the UN House in Ulaanbaatar, where
representatives of UNDP, USAID, Embassy of the United States in UB, Mongolian
National Human Rights Commission, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism as
well as other public and NGOs have participated.
This is
Mongolia’s first report assessing the challenges for lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender (LGBT) communities reveals they still face discrimination despite
significant government policy changes that protect their rights. There is still
societal homophobia and transphobia and LGBT people encounter social stigma and
even violence in various settings such as families, employment, health care and
public areas.
At the
launching of the report, Sezin Sinanoglu, Resident Representative of the United
Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Mongolia said in opening remarks,
“United Nations is committed to fighting discrimination based on sexual
orientation and gender identity. Human beings cannot benefit from development
progress if their lives are defined by inequity, exclusion, and policies which
treat them as less than equal. LGBT people need to be given the opportunities
to participate in and benefit fully from development”.
The ”Being LGBT
in Asia: Mongolia Country Report” - a joint analysis by the U.S. Agency for
International Development (USAID) and the UNDP - highlights how there is very
little published literature about diverse sexual orientation and gender
identity issues in Mongolia. A broader human rights discourse, including on
LGBT rights, began to emerge only after the country’s transition to a
democratic system in 1992.
“Realizing an
end to stigma and discrimination against LGBT people is an important part of
America's human rights goals globally. Truly sustainable development requires
the broadest possible participation from all parts of any country's
communities, including the LGBT community”, noted the U.S. Ambassador to
Mongolia, Mrs. Piper Campbell.
This landmark
report is the first comprehensive review and analysis of Mongolia’s legal and
social environment on LGBT issues in the country. It encompasses in-depth
research and findings and recommendations from the National LGBT Community
Dialogue convened in Ulaanbaatar in March 2014.
According to
the report, Mongolia was the first country in Asia to integrate LGBT issues in
the sex education curriculum for schools in 1998. Despite this progress,
Mongolian LGBT people live in a society where there is strong pressure to marry
a person of the opposite sex and have children and those who do not are
socially isolated and can face discrimination at work. A vast majority of
Mongolia’s LGBT people remain in the closet, fearful of social stigma and
discrimination. Suicidal thoughts among LGBT youth in the country are
alarmingly high.
The report
states that sex changes can be noted on birth certificates and citizen identity
documents based on an amendment to the Civil Registration Law in 2009. In
addition, revisions to the HIV law in 2012 introduced privacy protections for
people living with HIV. Marriage, however, is still defined as a union between
a man and a woman barring lesbian and gay people from marrying, adopting
children or jointly owning property. The majority of LGBT people in a survey
also reported experiencing abuse from law enforcement personnel including
blackmail and violence. Instances of severe violence towards LGBT people from
ultra-nationalist groups and others have also been recorded.
The Mongolia
country report was produced as part of the ‘Being LGBT in Asia’ initiative
launched on Human Rights Day in December 2012. It seeks to promote
understanding of the fundamental challenges LGBT people face and help
organizations in Asia document the progress being made in anti-discrimination
efforts. It also makes a series of recommendations that are designed to
complement the findings in different topical areas.
‘Being LGBT in
Asia’ is a regional collaboration between USAID, the UNDP and LGBT civil
society. Other UN agencies such as the Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF), UNAIDS and USAID country missions have also partnered with the
initiative in individual countries. It is currently being implemented in
Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand, the Philippines and Viet
Nam.
“Minister’s
30 Minutes” Press Conference Hosts Health Minister N.Udval
October 23 (infomongolia.com)
On October 23, 2014, the regular "Minister's 30 Minutes" press
conference was held that usually takes place every Thursdays and today the
Minister of Health N.Udval hosted the meeting.
Minister
N.Udval reported the measures being carried out on prevention of Ebola virus
disease (EVD) and said, “As of October 19th, there have been 10,002 EVD cases
and 4,926 deaths were reported in the countries of Guinea, Liberia, Sierra
Leone, Nigeria, Senegal, Spain, USA and Congo, of which 443 medical personnel.
In the past 7 days, 717 new EVD cases are registered, of which 322 died.
Mongolia’s
National Security Council publicized a Recommendation in August 2014, after
which the Ordinance of the Health Minister to issue the Surveillance and
Response Guidelines was also released. Accordingly, the Cabinet agreed to
allocate 477 million MNT (Tugrug) for prevention measures and preparedness
work.
Afterwards, the
National Emergency Management Agency in association with the Ministry of Health
have established a working group to monitor the EVD outbreak.
The World
Health Organization has been spending over 160 million MNT for diagnostic test
kit, protective clothing, tools, and for mass media precaution.
Moreover, the
National Center of Communicable Diseases has been organizing trainings,
workshops as well as warnings, manuals, posters and issued recommendations for
visitors and information to the public and prepared professional 4 teams and
reserved 50 beds”.
Related:
Minister
of Health reports at weekly meeting – Montsame,
October 23
Mongolians
consult with reps of NWS
By B. Khuder
Ulaanbaatar,
October 23 (MONTSAME) A delegation of Mongolia held a meeting on Wednesday with
representatives of the Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) who are taking part in works
of the First Committee of the UN General Assembly on Disarmament and
International Security Committee.
Mongolia and
the NWS exchanged views on a content of a resolution to be issued by the
General Assembly regarding the Mongolia’s nuclear weapon-free status, therefore
the parties concurred to consult a matter on adding an amendment to the GA resolution
in accordance with the NWS joint declaration of 2012 on the nuclear weapon-free
status of Mongolia.
Mongolia has
put forward a proposal to reflect the declaration’s concept in the UN’s
resolution.
Herders
provided with opportunities for grazing livestock in new pastures
October 23 (Oyu Tolgoi) - Work to
dig wells and repair watering points conducted in three soums -
Umnugobi, Mongolia
- Local authorities and herder cooperatives in Khanbogd, Manlai, and
Bayan-Ovoo are working with Oyu Tolgoi to dig, repair, and upgrade wells in
underutilised pasture areas. This programme is in its fourth year, and
improvements to the local water supply have opened up new opportunities for
herders to graze their animals. For example, 27 hand-dug and 12 deep wells were
repaired and restored in 2013.
Sh.Baigalmaa,
Oyu Tolgoi LLC’s General Manager for Social Performance said, “Increasing the
number of watering points and improving pasture water supply is a vital issue
for herders in the Gobi region. For this reason, Oyu Tolgoi, in cooperation
with soum Governor’s offices, launched this successful effort based on the
initiative and participation of herders."
After the work
on wells is completed, herders take responsibility for the wells’ on-going
protection and maintenance.
Para
Judo teams win gold and bronze medals
By B. Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 23 (MONTSAME) On the fifth day of Asian Paralympic Games on Thursday,
the Mongolian national teams of men's and women's judo grabbed gold medal and
bronze medals.
The women's
team won a gold medal in the team contest by defeating India 's team at the
finals. In the preliminary rounds, Mongolia beat its rivals of Thailand and
China. The men's team captured a bronze medal in the team bout.
For the time
being, Mongolia has grabbed 11 medals in the events of judo, shooting and
athletics.
The national
judo teams, which brought the largest number of medals so far, are being by
trainers Ch.Bazarsuren and B.Narantuya.
As of present,
a bronze medalist shooter of the Games Z.Ganbaatar has become the first athlete
of Mongolia to be qualified to compete in the “Rio De Janeiro 2016” Paralympic
Games.
Oyu
Tolgoi reserves re-estimated
By B.
Amarsaikhan
Ulaanbaatar,
October 23 (MONTSAME) Oyu Tolgoi LLC recently has re-fixed the reserves of its
group deposits, and approved it by the Professional Council of Minerals based
on the results of explorations conducted in 2009-2014 on Oyu Tolgoi group
deposits: Oyut, Heruga and Hugo North.
According to
the document, the geological reserves at the group deposits of Oyu Tolgoi were
estimated at 6.5 billion tons of ore, containing 44 million 495 thousand tons
of copper, 1.9 thousand tons of gold and 205 thousand tons of molybdenum. The
efficient (also known as exploitable riches) reserves have been estimated at
only 3.4 billion tons, according to the 2010 feasibility study of Oyu Tolgoi
LLC.
As of the
preliminary economic study basing on the new estimation of reserves, the net
value of the project amounts to USD 6.1 billion, and the coverage of the
first-round investment is estimated to be nine years, presented the company to
the Minerals’ Council. the study is based on the assumption of copper price -
3.08 US dollars per pound, gold price – 1274 US dollars per ounce, silver price
– 21.46 US dollars per ounce and molybdenum price – 12.42 US dollars per pound.
Parade
of wrecked cars warns the public about road safety
By M. Zoljargal
October 23 (UB
Post) Police in Ulaanbaatar led a parade of emergency vehicles, hearses, and
trucks loaded with cars destroyed in traffic accidents down Peace Avenue on
Wednesday, to remind the public of the consequences of careless driving.
The cars were
involved in accidents resulting from text messaging while driving, driving in
oncoming traffic lanes, and driving while intoxicated. The organizers hoped to
let the public understand what careless driving can lead to, including asset
damage and death.
“We tried to
show people how residents are having their lives and assets ruined in traffic
accidents. It is almost impossible to prevent such accidents by just reporting
statistics. The accident rate is still rising despite our many efforts. That is
why we are visually ‘teaching’ the public why they shouldn’t ignore traffic
regulations,” said E.Enkhbold, official of the Prevention Division at the
Ulaanbaatar City Traffic Police Department.
The line of
cars set off from the Officer’s Palace at 10:00 a.m. and drove down Peace
Avenue to its final destination at Dragon Center.
A photo
exhibition displaying the most harrowing traffic accidents which occurred in
October of this year was also opened at Dragon Center.
More than 500
volunteer students followed the parade and handed out materials about traffic
regulations, while, traffic accident victims were present to voice their
regrets and warn others about repeating their mistakes.
The Ministry of
Justice, General Police Department, and Traffic Police Department worked
together on this effort to minimize traffic accidents, and as part of their
recent decision to observe October 22 as a Day Dedicated to Traffic Accident
Victims.
Over 100
policemen donated blood this week for the victims of traffic accidents as part
of the remembrance day.
Over the past
15 years, there were 5,047 traffic related fatalities, and 12,000 more
individuals became physically disabled from injuries suffered in traffic
accidents, according to an unofficial report by Unuudur.
2015
monetary policy under review
By Ch. Khaliun
October 23 (UB
Post) On Wednesday, state monetary policy for 2015 was discussed during the
meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Economy.
Beginning the
meeting, the president of Mongol Bank gave a speech, introducing the details on
the external and internal environment for implementing monetary policy, policy
implemented from 2013 to 2014 and its results, and introducing a draft on basic
directives of monetary policy for 2015.
In the past
five financial quarters, the terms for foreign trade have significantly
declined as well as foreign direct investment, which resulted in a 6.1 trillion
MNT lack of estimated financial resources in 2013.
During 2013 and
2014 Mongol Bank and its Monetary Policy Council implemented many programs and
projects in an effort to stabilize the economy, mitigating the problem of the
balance of payments, supporting balanced economic growth, and protecting the
economic sector from further risk.
Mongol Bank believes that improving the external flow of currency, will significantly decrease the prices of imported goods and the prices of some domestic products, which will decrease inflation by seven percent and help the economy become more stable.
Mongol Bank believes that improving the external flow of currency, will significantly decrease the prices of imported goods and the prices of some domestic products, which will decrease inflation by seven percent and help the economy become more stable.
The policy is
focused on fostering the increased savings of the middle class. The number of
households with savings has grown to 61,000, two times the number recorded last
year.
Proponents of
the 2015 policy say that the increase of middle class savings will be an
important factor in the steady mid to long term economic growth.
Because foreign
direct investment has not recovered as hoped, the balance of payments pressure
is not disappearing, which influences slow economic growth, high inflation, the
slowdown of credit approval, and a lack of resources in the economic and
financial sectors, according to Mongol Bank.
The monetary
policy for 2015 intends to provide external economic balance, keeping inflation
at a low and stable level, strengthen economic stabilization, and create an
environment for balanced and sustainable medium to long term economic growth.
Another
important issue discussed during the meeting was the urgent creation and
implementation of the government’s comprehensive external debt service plan.
This will
provide the opportunity to appropriately plan estimated sources of foreign debt
repayment, funding the state budget in relevance with other economic policies.
Meeting
attendees also noted that the economy should not be too dependent on the
significantly fluctuating mining sector.
Around 90
percent of the Mongolian economy has been dependent on the minerals sector for
many years, and it has negatively influenced the nation’s economic
competitiveness, poor savings, created negative attention in foreign markets,
and weakened economic immunity.
The current
economic crisis is also tied to mining, so decreasing the nation’s dependence
on mining and diversifying economic structure are the main challenges facing
the Mongolian economy.
The Standing
Committee on Economy decided to discuss 2015′s monetary policy during the
Parliament’s plenary session.
Smuggled
dinosaur fossils return home
By M. Zoljargal
October 23 (UB
Post) Twenty-two smuggled dinosaur fossils have been returned to in Ulaanbaatar
on Wednesday, after an almost a two-month journey from New York City.
An official
ceremony was held to mark the fossils’ return at Tuushin LLC’s monitoring field
where several state officials and delegates of co-organizer companies attended.
The government
of the United States repatriated the 22 fossils to Mongolian officials in New
York on July 14.
Smuggling cases
of dinosaur fossils have gained the public’s attention and works to return
smuggled historical heritages have been intensified since a smuggled
Tyrannosaurus Bataar fossil was returned to Mongolia last year, after it was
nearly illegally auctioned off or more than a million USD in the United States.
“We are
witnessing a historic day that is welcoming back 22 dinosaur fossils that have
been smuggled away. The decision to return the fossils was made almost a year
ago, but we had to pass all the legal procedures and government protocols. We
signed the sea transport contract and now we are receiving the fossils,” said
Minister of Culture, Sport and Tourism Ts.Oyungerel.
The Minister
also expressed her gratitude for the companies that cooperated in repatriating
and transporting the fossils.
The project
group comprised of officials of the Reform in Paleontology and Archaeology
Museum of the Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism, Tuushin LLC, Bodi
Insurance, Ulaanbaatar Metropolitan Police Department, Capital City Customs
Office and Central Dinosaur Museum.
It
is able to travel around Ulaanbaatar by using internet enabled devices
October 23 (UB
Post) In relation to the “Smart Ulaanbaatar” project, Mongolia is cooperating
with Google to be included in their Google Maps, Google Street View, Google
Culture Institute and Google Art Project in Mongolia. The Google Street View
Project for Ulaanbaatar has started two years ago to enable everyone see
streets of Ulaanbaatar and even natural landscapes using Google.
Head of the
Ulaanbaatar City Information Technology Agency B.Bat-Ulzii gave an interview to
Daily news about the project.
Could you give
us a brief explanation about using Google Street View on Ulaanbaatar and how
people can visit museums, restaurants and other places in the city using the
internet?
Ulaanbaatar
Governor E.Bat-Uul started this project by requesting to implement the Google
projects in Mongolia two years ago. Google Street View simply means the appearance
of the streets. In other word, anyone from anywhere can visit over 4,000 cities
in 60 countries around the world thanks to the special feature of Google.
Pedestrians, cars, buildings and everything will be seen as two dimensional
pictures. Also, some museums and public places will be available. It will feel
like visiting the places physically.
Will this project only be implemented in
Ulaanbaatar?
No, the project
covers the entire territory of Mongolia. In order to carry out this project,
the special equipment of Google have to be installed in the area to capture the
images for the project. For example, specialists took picture of Ulaanbaatar
last June and after that they spent two to three months to process the
pictures.
Of course, the
camera they used was not a simple one. They used specially-equipped cameras for
the images.
They took
picture of the surroundings using cameras that rotate 360 degrees, but small
apparatuses were used to take pictures of Tsonjin Boldog and the other museum’s
pictures. In the future, Google specialists will not only work in the city, but
also in rural areas. The specialists are able to travel around Mongolia at the
end of next year.
You have mentioned that Google Street View
project will be beneficial to the tourism sector and economic development.
Could you expand on this?
Mongolia became
the 61st country that officially joined Google Street View. We are implementing
this project ahead of our two neighbors because the capturing work in Russia is
incomplete and China banned this project.
I am sure that
the project will bring significant improvement in the tourism industry.
Tourists visit
Google Street View before travelling to a country. Some surveys show tourists
choose their travel by just visiting Google Street View first.
When Mongolia
sent an official request to Google, Susan Point, the Asian director of Google
said, “I used to think that Mongolia was the same as China, where the communist
governance exists and does not permit revealing of information.”
This project features
many advantages in tourism security and business development. If we chose to,
we can ask Google to give us comprehensive information about reconnaissance.
Consequently, we can know when, where and who visited Mongolia’s famous
landscapes and Ulaanbaatar streets using the internet.
What about the other Google projects?
Google Culture
Institute and Google Art Project are on their initial stages.
How are the projects funded?
Google invested
in the projects. In other word, the state or the capital city fund did not
invest anything to implement these projects.
How often will the database be updated?
The picture
information will be updated every season. If it is necessary, the information
can be updated at shorter intervals. But collecting image information and
sending them to Google to be processed takes two to three months.
Is it harmful to the privacy of individuals
since Google Street View captures everything in the street?
People don’t
have to worry about this because the program has a feature that blurs license
plate numbers and faces automatically.
Source: Daily
News
Mongolia
to perform 3D full body scans to create national database
October 23 (UB
Post) A comprehensive 3D body scanning technology has been delivered to the
Clothing Research Center at the Mongolian University of Science and Technology
(MUST). The comprehensive technology was ordered by the Ministry of Industry
and Agriculture and funded by the Asian Development Bank.
The Asian
Development Bank provided Mongolia with three types of body scanners, which can
be used for wide range of purposes, including clothing production, medical
treatment, and archeological purposes.
With this
technology, Mongolia will be able to create a national database for full body,
arm and leg measurements of Mongolians. Categories for Mongolians’ body, arm
and leg lengths and shapes will be developed. A national standard of body shape
of Mongolians will be established, experts said.
Body measurements
of Mongolians were taken in 1985 for manufacturing clothes, according to senior
instructor of the Textile Department at the MUST S.Tsetsgee. Mongolians’ body
shape changed considerably since then. The 3D measurement is useful for
clothing industries for knowing whom they’ll be making clothes for.
Lately, many
people have complained about student uniforms not fitting children. This
equipment will provide manufacturers with the necessary information. From 3D
scan survey results, clothes manufacturers will find out which clothing sizes
should be primarily manufactured. Statistics indicate that 80 percent of
readymade clothes are imported from China.
MUST teachers
received training in South Korea for developing the 3D full body measurements.
“Special clothing will be worn during the scanning. Disposable clothing is used
in [South] Korea. It takes 30 minutes to scan a person,” clarified S.Tsetsgee.
She also
mentioned that there are financial difficulties for conducting these scans in
Mongolia. Some people will definitely question as to why they must get scanned.
In South Korea, to develop a national standard, people receive 50,000 KRW for
contributing and giving data about their body measurements. South Korea mainly
scans groups that are willing to form campaigns such as students and soldiers
to cut down on scanning expenses. People of specific age groups, suitable for
representing the population, are included in sample surveys.
Department Head
of the School of Industrial Technology and Design at the MUST D.Tumenbold
provided extensive information about how 3D measurements are used in life.
He explained
that “3D scanners provide 3D images, which is input into computers, and used
for conducting all types of measurement. A full body scan is beneficial for
manufacturing clothes of appropriate sizes. Measurements will also be used for
producing furniture such as chairs, tables and closets, as well as other
articles used by people.”
D.Tumenbold was
excited about the possibility of producing comfortable horse saddles with data
acquired from surveys.
When asked
about other usages of 3D survey, he replied, “A database can be created with
the comprehensive 3D body scanners. The equipment can be useful for industries
and robot technologies. The collected measurement data will be practical for
manufacturing prosthetic arms and legs. This sort of technology is necessary
for sports. When playing golf, the strongest player doesn’t hit the ball
farthest. Hitting from the right spot from the right angle with the right power
is the key. The 3D data is used for teaching golf. Everyone has a different
body build and depending on their build, suitable angles differ. After people
get scanned with the same scanners, coaches give advice on techniques. These
measurements can also be applied in medical science. Computed tomography (CT)
technology is used for replacing backbones. CT provides 3D scans. If there’s a
mistake, healthy bones will grow and grind against artificial bones.”
He informed
that it’s possible for people to save their measurement data on file and order
custom-made clothing from abroad. Consumers will not have to go through the
trouble of personally travelling to foreign countries to give body measurement.
Apparently, custom tailors can send videos and show their clients how their new
designs would look on customers using 3D models.
According to
D.Tumenbold, people were asked to stand on a 3D foot scanner, which determined
which leg was under more pressure, during a fall exhibition in South Korea.
People who got scanned received custom-made in soles, which is useful for
correcting their incorrect posture and stride while increasing their balance.
There are people who hobble but if their insoles are adjusted, they can walk
properly. D.Tumenbold emphasized irregular walking is harmful to internal
organs.
The 3D full
body scanning technology is efficient for preserving cultural heritage. News of
smuggled dinosaur fossil and people being suspicious about some dinosaur
fossil’s authenticity has increased. If a database is consisted with a 3D
scanner, Mongolia will easily determine whether certain dinosaur fossils belong
to Mongolia.
D.Tumenbold
also talked about the 3D scan’s significance for archeology.
“The U.S.
research team was able to compromise a virtual autopsy of Egyptian Pharaoh
Tutankhamun via x-ray, without dissembling his mummified body. This method is
widely used for archeological studies and forensics. Directions and where
bullets can be detected from bodies via 3D scans.”
Mongolia will
soon begin 3D body scan surveys and develop a national standard, breaking away
from the ancient standard. The 3D body scanner will provide an incredible
database for researchers who conduct studies related to people. For now,
Mongolia is working towards creating its own body measurement.
Source: Daily
News
B.Battulga:
Mongolians have every good characteristic of Asians and Europeans
October 23 (UB
Post) The following is an interview with
senior software engineer at Google B.Battulga, highlighting Mongolia’s IT
sector, during a short return to Mongolia to organize a meeting with Google
Development Group (GDG).
Last week, he organized the meeting where
over 100 people attended. Most of the attendees were Mongolian IT amateurs who
spoke with B.Battulga’s colleagues from Google about their work.
It was reported that you came to Mongolia
to introduce GDG. Can you tell us more about this?
GDG,
abbreviation for Google Developers Group, is a gathering for software
developers who aren’t related to Google. Basically, it’s a meeting with young
people interested in technology. Google supports GDG by some sort of means such
as organizing meetings and helping with code inputs. Currently, there are 5,000
software developers in the world. GDG Ulaanbaatar Group was unofficially
established two years ago in Ulaanbaatar. This time, we’re working to
officially register software developers who joined two years ago.
What did you accomplish through the
meeting?
I met with
people who will be organizing GDG meetings in the future and people who are
interested in GDG. We discussed about some of the issues Mongolian software
engineers are facing and ways to resolve them.
Why is joining GDG beneficial for young
Mongolian IT specialists?
Despite all of
them being based in Mongolia, communication between Mongolian IT developers is
very poor. These young people will be able to frequently meet up and resolve
even small issues by joining GDG. I consider this as an advantage.
Can you share why you decided to work for
Google?
When I had just
graduated from university, Google was selected as the most desirable company to
work for in both America and South Korea for a couple of years. My initial
application and examination was for Google. To attract software engineers, the
company visits schools and teaches students about how to fill out application
forms for jobs at Google. I found out it was possible to enter by taking
examinations when they visited my school.
Google has many departments. Which
department do you work at and what does your work consist of?
I work at the
search engine system sector. I used to work in the search engine system’s web
ranking, where I developed algorithms for ranking the first ten websites that
would come out through the search engine. I also worked on search engines that
show all sorts of information in summarized form. At the moment, I’m working on
a program that predicts user’s next action and provides services accordingly. I
worked at Google’s Seoul Office but I recently started working for a different
section within the search engine system and had to transfer to the U.S. Office.
How many employees does Google have and how
many of them are software engineers?
I’m not sure
about the total number of employees. There are probably some ten thousands of
employees but almost half of them are software engineers.
What is your rank among software engineers?
I guess a bit
higher than the middle rank.
Is there any other Mongolians working at
Google?
Apart from me,
there aren’t any full-time Mongolian engineers. There were several students who
worked for short periods of time.
What is the main criterion for getting
promoted at Google?
People vying
for promotions are tested twice a year. This examination is taken by selected
engineers and committee, not by directors. The examination board checks on
people who submitted requests for a promotion and decides who to promote. The
main criterion evaluates their leadership, how much they’ve contributed to the
company, and how useful their product is to consumers.
In a previous interview, you briefly
mentioned that software engineers in your company are unique from other company
workers. Can you clarify on this?
Other companies
have many procedures and stages such as planning and designing when producing products.
It can be said that our company doesn’t have so many procedures. Engineers work
on every stage and procedure from production to distribution to consumers.
Can you tell us about opportunities on
getting employed at Google? Can Mongolians aspiring to work for Google give the
examinations directly?
First, they
have to write out their profile and strong points and send it to the company.
If they pass, they must give an interview via phone call. If they also pass
this stage, they can come to the company and take an exam. It’s possible to
give the exam from Mongolia. Students of the National University of Mongolia
and the Mongolian University of Science and Technology were informed about
this.
How connected are you with fellow
Mongolians working in major IT companies such as Apple and Samsung?
I keep in touch
with them. Though we don’t meet often, whenever we meet, we discuss about
various topics including Mongolian IT development, difficulties [Mongolian]
companies are facing, and opportunities for improving Mongolia’s IT sector. I
think cooperating and communicating with Mongolians working abroad is an
opportunity to mutually help each other and share information.
What would it take to improve Mongolia’s IT
sector?
At the moment,
it’s impossible to say. Mongolia has the key foundation for developing its IT
sector. Generally, there isn’t an obstacle preventing IT sector from
developing.
Since you work with the best young people
from all countries, you must notice their strengths and weaknesses. Compared to
foreigners, what are the strengths of Mongolians?
Europeans focus
on individual capabilities so it’s common for individuals to be skilled. Asians
are superior with their team work skills. Mongolians, on the other hand, are
different from both Europeans and Asians. What I mean to say is that it seems
Mongolians possess both of these strengths.
At Google, software engineers of which
nation are more skilled?
Overall, it’s
hard to find competent software engineers. For instance, when I was working in
South Korea, we had to do many interviews to find good software engineers. Even
though the population is almost 50 million, it was difficult. Excellent IT
companies are being established in America because the ones considered as the
best from billions of people in China and India are moving to America. Software
engineers of these two countries are followed by European software engineers.
The best IT companies are situated in America because the best people selected
from three billion people are gathered there.
It seems that we aren’t aware of how
influential the mobile revolution is to our lives. How long do you think the
mobile revolution will go on?
Any type of
change flows fastest in its initial stage. The change will not stop and as it
gradually evolves, it will no longer affect people’s lives. I’d like to mention
that the mobile revolution is currently in its middle stage of transition. The
transition will probably begin to slow down in pace after some time.
Although it’s commendable that Mongolian
language was put to Google Translate, it is inadequate. In the future, will it
be upgraded and improved?
It probably
will be. Google Translate will have to expand its information data somehow to
improve languages included in the program. The quality will improve if more input
data is inserted.
Thank you for speaking to us. Will you be
coming to Mongolia for GDG meetings in the future?
Generally, I do
have plans to do so. I want to cooperate on especially working closely and
supporting students and IT developers.
Source: Undesnii
Shuudan
President
congratulates Mongolian athletes who competed in ASIAD
By B. Tungalag
October 23 (UB
Post) President of Mongolia Ts.Elbegdorj visited the Mongolian National Olympic
Committee on October 21 to award the President’s Prize to Mongolian athletes
who competed in the 17th Asian Games, which took place in Incheon, South Korea.
Mongolian
athletes performed brilliantly in the Asian Games and won a total of 21 medals,
including five gold, four silver and 12 bronze, and ranked in the 16th place
among 45 countries.
President
Ts.Elbegdorj congratulated the athletes and said, “Today I am very happy to
meet with our athletes who successfully participated in the 17th Asian Games.
Our state has been paying special attention on supporting sports and we should
continue this tradition. Mongolia supported sports not only during the years of
socialism, but in the early years of our history. During the Great Mongol
Empire, a sporting competition known as Naadam Festival was organized and
widely celebrated by the citizens of Mongolia. This tradition has been
maintained and widely spread in Mongolia.”
“A country that
has a sports tradition remains powerful, even though it has a small population.
Through this factor, a country upholds its dignity and reputation. I think that
paying attention to supporting sports is not only a duty of some authorities
and officials, but also a lifetime commitment for the people who are involved
in sports. I reaffirm my commitment to sports to pay close attention to sport
and support our athletes,” the President added.
“In 1998, when
I was Prime Minister I issued a resolution to grant monetary rewards to
athletes. During that time, the situation in Mongolia was difficult. This is
one of my key decisions, during my short time of premiership. Also the
above-mentioned resolution included the decision to award artists who made
achievement in cultural festivals and competitions. I am very grateful that the
resolution has always been supported and implemented by the Mongolian
governments of all time up until now.”
Cinematographer
D.Angarag to bring Hollywood artists
By B. Baatar
October 23 (UB
Post) Mongolian cinematographer D.Angarag announced that he will produce a
movie called “Precious” with Hollywood artists.
Hollywood
artists and D.Angarag met and discussed his movie on October 21. Hollywood
cinematographer Peter Gray and writer Dianna Ismail are set to come to Mongolia
with D.Angarag in November.
D.Angarag has
previously worked on famous Mongolia movies such as “Minii Khursh Chutgur” (My
Neighbor is a Devil), “Bodliin Khulgaich” (Thief of the Mind), “Dev” and “Anu
Khatan” (Queen Anu).
The cinematographer
was also involved in a professional cinematographer’s training by invitation of
the American Society of Cinematographers this month.
‘City
View’ through the eyes of S.Munkhbaatar
By B. Narantuya
October 23 (UB
Post) “City View” is the first solo exhibition by S.Munkhbaatar, featuring 55
artworks of city views and portraits. The exhibition is on view through October
25, at Best Art Gallery.
Artist
S.Munkhbaatar was born in 1984, in Uliastai, Zavkhan aimag. He earned his
bachelor’s degree in fine arts instruction at the School of Fine Arts and
Technology in 2005. At the moment, he is teaching at Ulaanbaatar University.
“City View” is
dedicated to the 375th anniversary of our urban city, says S.Munkhbaatar.
In Mongolia,
most artists usually work under the theme of modern art, history,
installations, wildlife and nature. Visiting this exhibition, the artist gave
me a chance to see a simple view of city life through his paintings, one that
we mostly see only through photographs. All of his works are painted in
watercolor. Watercolor can be a challenging medium for artists, but I think
that S.Munkhbaatar uses this technique masterfully.
“I aimed to
express my view of the city, streets, ger districts, and simple lives looking
through the eyes of an artist. On the other hand, the works that are presented
will be historical pieces, by painting a city that develops and changes day by
day,” he said. Overall, the works are very simple, presenting the daily lives
typical of the city and its people. He used simple, soft colors that make the
paintings seem more alive.
I enjoyed all
of his work, but one painting, “Morning of Shiniin 1” remained with me.
White Moon, or
Tsagaan Sar, is the traditional celebration of Mongols. We have been
celebrating this event since the times of Chinggis Khaan. The celebration takes
several days and we call the first day of the celebration, “Shiniing 1”. I
usually imagine Tsagaan Sar as a celebration that is a very important and
delightful event for elders. My grandparents get very excited when the
celebration comes around, especially my grandfather. However, I don’t live in a
ger district. Staring at that picture, I missed the Tsagaan Sar festivities
that I used to celebrate with my grandfather, who left us three years ago.
S.Munkhbaatar’s painting made me miss my grandfather and evoked warm memories.
State
officials are playing with the budget
October 23 (UB
Post) The Mongolian National Audit Office examined state budget spending in
2013. The examination showed that state officials were exceeding the budget
amount to be spent on international assignments.
The Democratic
Party took most the seats during the last election and established its
government. At that time, the Prime Minister said that he would work with his
Cabinet members six days a week; if there was anyone who couldn’t tolerate this
work load, then they could leave. He also criticized previous governments that
passed “corrupt” budgets.
But, in
reality, his government was no different.
To clarify,
most of the Members of Cabinet exceeded their budgets for international
assignments, and Minister of Foreign Affairs L.Bold topped the list.
He overspent
the budget by 558 million MNT, which was set at nearly 2.79 billion MNT. (See
Table 1.)
The ministry
explained this issue and said that the overspending of the budget was because
of transportation costs for 40 diplomatic representatives, referring to the
account of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Whether this explanation was true
or not, it calmed down taxpayers.
The Ministry of
Foreign Affairs mostly uses foreign currency to cover transportation costs
instead of Mongolian currency. They suggest that they estimated that one USD
was equivalent to 1,336 MNT at the time of budget planning, which may have also
led to the shortage of funds.
Other ministers
exceeded their budgets by 17 million to 93 million MNT.
But not all of
the MPs blew through their budgets. Some people, including the PM, conserved
their budgets, which is really good news. (See Table 2.)
The head of
Parliament talked about prohibiting ministers from going on more than two
foreign assignments a year. But Table 1 shows that some ministers’ are
exceeding these limitations.
Mid-level
officials of the State are playing with state funds more than our ministers.
To point out a
recent example, there are several officials in the Civil Aviation Authority who
always had international assignments, including B.Gan-Ochir, an administration
head, and L.Nergui, a head of the finance and economics department.
They both
participated in a two-week conference in France and Italy this February, and
recently went to a meeting in Taiwan. At present, they are about to go to
Korea, the U.S., and Canada to visit Mongolian students who are studying there.
Also, the
senior deputy director of the Civil Aviation Authority, S.Enkh-Amgalan, visited
the U.S. and Canada several times at the beginning of this month. But he was
recently relieved from his job, which could be seen as a kind of measurement
against budget abuses.
In addition to
this, the members of the City Representatives Khural went to Brazil to study
political experiences, at the same time as the FIFA World Cup. They also had
fun with state funds, but due to pressure from oppositional forces, they were
required to compensate their expenditures.
At the decision
of the Orkhon Province Governor, two department officials went to the USA with
an expert and police officer to study experiences in law enforcement. It is
interesting, because everyone knows there is a big difference in
administration, lifestyle, development, public mindset, and weather between
Mongolia and the USA.
It would be a
very long list if we mentioned every example of state funds being wasted by
public officials as if it were their own money. So, where is the implementation
of the law that limits and enforces the conservation of the budget?
Source:
Undesnii Shuudan
Stock
exchange news for October 23
Ulaanbaatar,
October 23 (MONTSAME) At the Stock Exchange trades on Thursday, a total of
1,047 shares of six JSCs were traded costing MNT 14 million 040 thousand and
200.00.
"Talkh
chikher” /470 units/, “Gobi” /205 units/, “Tavantolgoi” /155 units/, “Darkhan
nekhii” /95 units/ and "Kasu-mandal” /77 units/ were the most actively
traded in terms of trading volume, in terms of trading value were "Talkh
chikher” (MNT nine million and 400 thousand), "Darkhan nekhii” (MNT one
million 757 thousand and 500), “Gobi” (MNT one million and 640 thousand),
"Tavantolgoi” (MNT 760 thousand and 500) and "Khasu-mandal” (MNT 315
thousand and 700).
The total
market capitalization was set at MNT one trillion 562 billion 742 million 014
thousand and 361. The Index of Top-20 JSCs was 15,576.95, decreasing 50.45
units or 0.32% against the previous day.
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