News
New ministers has been agreed upon by the MPRP and the Democratic party
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 23:44
Media reports over the last
few days indicate a list of new ministers has been agreed upon by the
Mongolian People’s Revolutionary Party and the Democratic Party. The
list is expected to be presented for approval to the Parliament.
The MPRP will nominate M.Enkhbold
as Deputy Prime Minister, S.Batbold as Foreign Minister, Yo.Otgonbayar
as Education Minister, T.Badamjunai as Food, Agriculture and Light
Industry Minister, B.Dolgor as Head of the Government Office, T.Gandi
as Social Security and Labor Minister, and D.Zorigt as Mineral and Energy
Minister. Otgonbayar, Zorigt, and the two women, Dolgor and Gandi, are
not members of Parliament.
The Democratic Party nominees
are believed to be N.Altankhuyag as First Deputy Prime Minister, S.Bayartsogt
as Finance Minister, L.Gansukh as Defense Minister, N.Batbayar as City
Planning and Transport Minister, S.Lambaa as Health Minister and R.Erdeneburen
as Environment and Tourism Minister.
A power sharing agreement was reached by both parties last month. The MPRP won 44 seats in the Parliament during June 29 national elections. The Democratic Party won 26 seats. There are 76 seats in the Parliament.
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Christianity growing fast in Mongolia, by Michael Kohn
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 23:44
Mitch Tillman is an unlikely savior. Six years ago, the Baptist missionary languished in an Alabama jail, facing a prison sentence on drug charges. Today he builds hospitals, feeds street children and saves souls in Mongolia.
For Christian missionaries like Tillman, Mongolia is the new El Dorado. Since communist rule ended in 1990, some 60,000 Mongolians have turned to Christianity, according to records kept by Mormons, Seventh-day Adventists, other Protestant churches and Catholics.
"A lot of my friends were becoming Christian, so I decided to learn something about the faith," said L. Chimgee, 18, a student at Ulan Bator's Technical University. "I went on a weekend retreat to a Christian camp in the countryside. It was a lot of fun and I felt a real sense of community. So I joined the church."
Tillman, who was acquitted of cocaine possession in 2002, believes prayers secured his freedom. Once out of jail, the Chattanooga native sold his auto body business and moved to Mongolia where his father, a Baptist pastor, had established a mission.
"As Mongolia enters a new era of freedom and democracy, people are looking for something different," said Tillman, a 53-year-old father of six, whose family includes three adopted Mongolian children. "They are looking for hope and a better life for their children. I think that Christ will give them that."
Monks alarmed
But the campaign to convert Mongolians has set off alarm bells in the ancient hallways of Gandan Monastery, the nation's largest Buddhist complex with 800 monks. Senior monk Khunhur Byambajav says he is concerned that fewer Mongolians are coming to his monastery.
"It's a problem of money. (Christian) missionaries have money to build schools and educate young people. They entice them by various means," said Byambajav, referring to gifts offered by churches such as food, clothing and scholarships to study abroad. "We cannot financially compete, but we have to try, otherwise we won't have enough young people becoming Buddhist."
Tillman's Harbor Evangelism International, for example, operates two hospitals, an orphanage, a soup kitchen and an alcohol recovery program in a country where alcoholism is rampant even among some Buddhist monks, some observers say.
"Our Mongolian Buddhist monasteries are weak," said L. Odonchimed, a former member of parliament. "They get money from people but don't give much back. Missionaries give things away for free and help people - that is what a religious organization should do."
Read More at San Fransisco Chronical...
Degi to perform in Ohio Mongolian Festival
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 23:44
The Middfest Mongolia celebration opening ceremony will begin at 5:30 pm on Friday Oct. 3. The venue is Donham Plaza in the center of Middletown, Ohio next to the city building and Manchester Inn. Events will be held in the city building and in nearby areas.Entry badges (free for participants but others will have to pay a basic admission covering the entire weekend) will be on sale at the entry gate. A Mongolian felt badge is available for admission at $7.00 per person, and a plain entry sticker is available at $5.00.
Middfest hours are: Friday - 5:00 - 10:00 pm; Saturday - 10:00 am-10:00 pm; Sunday - 12:00 noon-8:00 pm. (Exhibits close at 6:00 pm on Sunday.)
There will be a FOOD COURT with Mongolian food as well as a wide variety of ethnic and American foods.
SUPER SATURDAY for KIDS will begin with registration at 9:00 am at Youth Park adjacent to Donham Plaza. Events will include several
performances of an original play, "The Adventures of the Mongolian Five Snouts," based on popular folks tales, performances including T-
Rex about dinosaurs and the Zany Umbrella Circus about the four seasons in Mongolia. The Hanhongor performing group from the Gobi
will present programs of dances. There will also be games, storytelling and other attractions for the younger set.
In addition to Youth Park, there will be performances and events at three venues: the MAIN STAGE, the MALL STAGE and the MUSIC CENTER in the city building, where exhibitions of photographs by Gary Tepfer
and from the Mongolian Embassy will be on display, as well as art and religious objects. Entertainment will be continuous on the main stages, music center and youth park on Saturday and Sunday.
As currently scheduled main performances will be:
Friday, Oct. 3
Main Stage - 6 pm opening ceremony; Mongolian School/MSNCA, Andrew Colwell, Blue Sky, Degi, and Hanhongor-Gobi group, Andrew Colwell is also scheduled in the Music Center.
Sat., Oct. 4
Main Stage - Mongolian School (2:00 pm); Hanhongor group (2:30 pm); Blue Sky (4:00 pm), Degi (6:00 pm); Hanhongor group (8:00 pm) Mall Stage - Andrew Colwell (1:30 pm), Blue Sky (6:30 pm), Degi (8:30 pm)
Music Center - Blue Sky (1:00 pm); Meggan Watt (4:30 pm)
Youth Park - Mongolian School (4:30 pm)
Sun., Oct. 5
Main Stage - Hanhongor group (1:30 pm), Blue Sky (4:30 pm); Finale (6:00 pm) includes Blue Sky, Hanhongor group and Degi.
Mall Stage - Degi (5:00 pm)
Music Center - Meggen Watt (12:30 pm), Blue Sky (1:30 pm), Andrew Colwell (3:30 pm)
[NOTE: Schedules are still being developed and the above times are NOT final. There will also be many other performers not listed here.]
Please consult the Middfest web site (www.middfestinternational.org) for updated information. The Middfest office can be reached at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
, tel. 513 425 7707.
BCM Mongolia News Highlights: Introducing, investing, but still waiting for inauguration
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 23:44
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS:Business:
US businesses ready to introduce latest technology; Centerra Gold prepares for growth; EBRD to invest 50% more in Mongolia; Xstrata Coal raises ownership share in Erdene; QGX announces take-up of shares by Mongolia Holdings Corp.; Western Prospector provides update on Tinpo offer; Rolling Hills sold to Jindal Steel; Monnis donates fire-fighting equipment.
Economy:
Mongolia ranked 58th ‘on ease of doing business’; Budget surplus falls sharply; Steep rise in foreign trade deficit; Stock exchange to upgrade trading process; Daily MIAT flights to Japan next summer; EBRD extends risk cover to Mongolia; GDP rose in 2007, despite fall in exports; Consumer prices rise in August; Household income, expenses up.
Politics:
Parliament approves new Government structure, after President says ‘No’; Agreement sets out goals for next four years; Both parties prepare list of Ministers; Criticism, mostly friendly, for Bayar in Parliament before approval; UN body to hold ICT training for ministers, MPs; Fewer murders, more robberies.
US BUSINESSES READY TO INTRODUCE LATEST TECHNOLOGY
Ms. Michelle O'Neill, Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade of the US Department of Commerce, called on President N. Enkhbayar on Wednesday. Greeting the visitor, the President recalled how “President Bush had referred to Mongolia as the third neighbor of the USA”, and expressed his happiness with the state of the bilateral relationship. He was optimistic that the USD 285 million US aid to Mongolia from the Millennium Challenge Account would “make great contributions to the development of our country”.
Ms. O'Neill said that US businesses were at present meeting their Mongolian counterparts to expand cooperation. Among them are representatives from movie restoring companies holding a dialogue on restoring and saving Mongolian movies made during the socialist period, she added. Representations from US mining companies such as Rio Tinto are also included in the business team. “We are ready to introduce all up-to-date technology to Mongolia to fairly compete in the Mongolian market,” she said.
EBRD TO INVEST 50% MORE IN MONGOLIA
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) plans to boost investment in Mongolia by almost 50 percent this year, in industries ranging from retail to mining. The bank will increase spending here to US $70 million this year, and forecasts another increase to US $140 million in 2009. John Chomel-Doe, the bank's director for Mongolia, said during the Euromoney Mongolia Investment Forum last week in Ulaanbaatar, “This is a good demonstration of the potential Mongolia has for private-sector investments.”
EBRD is an institution owned by 61 countries, including the U.K., Germany, Australia and Mongolia, and two intergovernmental institutions, the European Community and the European Investment Bank. It started investing in Mongolia last year, with over US $40 million, and has to date invested in businesses that include a supermarket chain, a bank, a drilling company, a coal mine and a fruit-juice producer, Chomel-Doe said, declining to identify the companies.
Mongolia's “growth sectors” include retail distribution, beverages, real estate, tourism, textiles and mining. Cement, renewable energy and financial industries are also likely to generate high growth, he said, adding that “many of them are in our pipeline”. The bank is seeking to increase investment in Mongolia because the nation has an active democracy, he said. Other positive factors include a fully privatized banking sector, “one of the best tax regimes for business and individuals”, a free press and a private sector that accounts for 80 percent of the country's economy.
QGX ANNOUNCES TAKE UP-OF SHARES BY MONGOLIA HOLDINGS CORP.
QGX Ltd. has announced that 50,950,885 of its common shares have been validly deposited pursuant to the offer by Mongolia Holdings Corp., an indirect subsidiary of Kerry Holdings Limited, to acquire all of the outstanding QGX Shares. Under the terms of the Offer, shareholders of QGX are entitled to receive Cdn$5.00 cash for each QGX Share tendered pursuant to the Offer. The Offeror has advised that as all conditions of the Offer have been satisfied, it has taken up and accepted for payment all QGX Shares so deposited, which represent approximately 95.94% of the outstanding QGX Shares. The Offeror has deposited sufficient funds to pay for all of the common shares with the Depository and payment will be made by the Depository to tendering shareholders within 3 business days.
PARLIAMENT APPROVES NEW GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE, AFTER PRESIDENT SAYS “NO”
With Parliament approving on Wednesday morning the proposed restructuring of the government, political activity returned to nomination and selection of Ministers. Prime Minister Bayar, in a hurry to get down to business with a government that he hopes to lead for four years, asked Parliament to discuss the plan after the President had asked him on Tuesday to reconsider several suggestions. Of the 52 members present, 49 supported the proposed restructuring. The President now has two weeks to veto the decision, if he wishes to persist with his objection. He may also take note of the overwhelming support the Prime Minister’s proposal received in Parliament and add his own consent.
According to the President’s advisor, Ya.Dolgorjav, the President did not see enough justification to have two deputy prime ministers, and recommended having just one. This would, however, upset the plan to have one deputy prime minister from each party, to indicate parity among the coalition partners. The President also recommended the establishment of a new agency under the Prime Minister with the specific and exclusive responsibility for coordinating the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals.
Bayar’s proposal envisages 15 cabinet positions. Apart from the Prime Minister, there will be 11 ministers in charge of independent ministries, one fewer than the present 12. There will be two Deputy Prime Ministers, one from each party. One other minister will have no portfolio but will be responsible for coordinating all government business.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be renamed Ministry of Foreign Relations and will also handle foreign trade. The present Ministry of Trade and Industry will be bifurcated into a Ministry of Minerals and Energy, and another to be known as the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry. Tourism will now be included in the Ministry of Environment.
One of the two deputy prime ministers will be in charge of the Agency for Regulation of Unfair Competition, the Agency for National Standards and Measures, the Agency for Protection of Intellectual Property and also of the free economic zones. The other will hold charge of the National Center for Children, the Professional Inspection Agency, and the National Emergency Management Agency. The MPRP will get 9 positions and the DP 6.
MONGOLIA RANKED 58TH “ON EASE OF DOING BUSINESS”
Doing Business 2009, sponsored by The International Finance Corporation and the World Bank, puts Mongolia 58th, three places down from last year, amongst the world’s 181 economies on the overall ease of doing business. This is the sixth year that the Annual Report has been issued. Doing Business ranks economies based on 10 indicators of business regulations that track the time and cost to meet government requirements in starting and operating a business, trading across borders, paying taxes and closing a business. Singapore leads the global rankings on the overall regulatory ease of doing business for the third consecutive year.
“Mongolia is included among the top 11 countries in East Asia which have made reforms in paying taxes and trading across border. Documents needed for export were reduced from 10 to 8 and total time reduced by 9 days,” the report says. David W. Lawrence, Program Manager of the International Finance Corporation, said that Mongolia should be proud of its very positive indicators and, even though some indicators had slipped compared to the previous year, this meant the other progress in the country was performing rapidly.
Forum to assist rural businesses to be held
Tuesday, 09 February 2010 23:44
Mongolia's National Chamber
of Commerce and Industry will host a forum for businesses in Mongolia’s
rural areas on October 1.
Held in Ulaanbaatar, the forum
will assist small and medium sized agricultural businesses in Mongolia
to find financial resources and other assistance to help them succeed.
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