MONGOL Since 1991 the MESSENGER 500 ¥ No. 07-08 (1076-1077) MONGOLIA’S FIRST ENGLISH WEEKLY PUBLISHED BY MONTSAME NEWS AGENCY Friday, February 17, 2012 Mongolia Economic Happy Tsagaan Sar! Forum planned for early March The Mongolian Economic Forum 2012 will run on March 5-6. At a February 10 press conference, organizers of the forum reported about the preparations and measures for the forum. As of information given by MP S. Oyun; Deputy Finance Minister Ch.Gankhuyag; Ch.Khashchuluun, head of the National Development and Innovation Committee; and P.Tsagaan, senior advisor to the President, the forum that is to be organized for the third time, will run this year under the motto ‘Together for Development’. The forum will have sub-meetings under themes on economic development, social policy and competitiveness, and bring together over 1000 foreign and domestic participants. During the forum, it is planned to publicly introduce Mongolia’s development forum until 2021 issued by Open Society. MP S. Oyun said, “In reality, why isn’t poverty decreasing while the economy has grown over the past five or six years. We believe that issues on how to decrease poverty and what should be done for the fruits of economic growth to improve livelihoods will develop into hot discussions during the forum. For instance, the statistical figures on poverty percentages are very confusing. The National Statistical Committee evaluates the poverty rate at 39 percent while the World Bank says it is lower using a different methodology to evaluate poverty. Therefore, representatives from public organizations, social welfare, On Tsagaan Sar, President Ts.Elbegdorj meets with elders in the traditional Mongolian custom of respect NGOs, trade unions and professional organizations are expected to This week’s Mongol Messenger includes a special section dedicated to Tsagaan Sar history, traditions, comparisons with urban and countryside participate in the discussion and celebrations, foreigner’s views on Tsagaan Sar customs as well as the do’s and don’ts when visiting homes or receiving Tsagaan Sar guests express their position freely.” Inside Coal leads Mongolia’s mining industry Buddha relic found ����������������������p3 New law on conflict of interest �����p4 B.Ooluun 248.1 billion was realized from coal and Ts. Garamjav said by supporting The chief organizer of the forum, Tgs 295.2 billion in 2011. Compared to coal mining and increasing exports, President of the “Glogex” Group Food safety ���������������������������������p7 Mongolian coal attracts the world’s 2010 and 2009, coal profits increased more attention needs to be focused on L.Naranbaatar said that “60 percent of attention; apparently, it may become by Tgs 46 billion in Mongolia. Over 40 processing the final output, export of the world’s coal consumption is in Asia. Tsagaan Sar stories�����������������p8-11 the leading branch on Mongolia’s companies are engaged in coal mining coal with surplus cost, development That means Mongolian coal will always mining sector. This was evident from today and the mining branch is rapidly of coking chemical production and be on top and in great demand. Recently, Mongolians abroad��������������������p13 “Coal Mongolia -2012”, the Second developing. producing liquefied coal products. Under Mongolia officially recorded additional International Coal Investors Conference The geological probable coal reserve the framework of supporting an export- coal reserve of almost eight billion tons. The Mongolia Society turns 50����p15 hosted in Ulaanbaatar on February 9 and is 175 billion tons which is predicted oriented economy, the government has This is our success and we can proudly 10. The coal conference was organized to grow a further 9.8 billion tons of defined the mining sector as a priority demonstrate it to foreign investors”, said by the Ministry of Mineral Resource coal reserve by preliminary forecasts for the country’s economy. They are L.Naranbaatar. Please note: and Energy, the National Development guaranteed by geological surveys. More creating favorable conditions for that Ch. Khashchuluun, Chief of the Due to the extended Tsagaan Sar and Renewal Committee, and the than 300 coal deposits were revealed by introducing environmentally friendly National Development and Renovation holiday, The Mongol Messenger will Mining.mn information website. The in a total of 15 basins. In 2011, the technology and attracting investors. Committee, said that Mongolia uses not be published next week (Feb­ conference was attended by more than Mineral Resource Council discussed the In order to successfully resolve the 3 to 4 percent of the mined coal. ruary 24). Our next issue will be 700 delegates from 300 government and reserve report of 23 plus coal mines, of environmentally friendly mining Mongolians would be able to use free published on Friday, March 2nd. non-government organizations as well which 7.8 billion reserves were newly recovery, the deputy minister said, coal from the profit of coal exported as from more than 20 foreign countries approved according to Ts. Garamjav, stable financial and legal conditions will to foreign countries for a high price. Bloomberg commodity price 2012/02/16 including the RF, China, Germany, Deputy Minister of Mineral Resource be created for intensive methane gas But infrastructure problems need to be Japan, and Australia. and Energy. exploration in the coal seam, for reaching resolved in the first place in order to Price Beginning in 2011, coal leads Over the past 90 years since the exploration standards, for effective use sell coal and surplus coal output on the GOLD USD/t oz. 1,719.400 Mongolia’s economy beating copper development of coal branch in this of reserves, exploitation of underground foreign market, he said. This was one of and its profits outrun other export country, coal has been mined to meet the mining technology, for management of issues discussed at the Coal Mongolia COPPER USD/lb. 376.400 products. Some 25,245 million tons coal domestic energy supply. The minister national and foreign investments and for Conference. was mined in 2010, and 18,241 million stressed that beginning from 2003 reliable investment circulation. SILVER USD/t oz 33.200 tons of coal has been exported. Another coal was mined for export to profit the By coal reserve, Mongolia is among New railway access for the 32.994 million tons of coal was mined country’s economy. The coal reserve the ten leading countries of the world. development of coal production BRENT USD/bbl. 118.970 in 2011 with 25.5 million tons exported. serves a basic source for electricity Coal is in great demand in China, in Cooperation with our two neighbors, CRUDE Compared to 2010, coal mined in 2011 production and coal is being used the RF and in the world market. All of China and the Russian Federation, is one SUGAR USd/lb. 23.480 grew 130.4 percent and coal exports to generate more than 90 percent of them are interested to import coal from 123.3 percent. In 2010, a profit of Tgs Mongolia’s electric energy and heating. Mongolia. Continued on page 5 WHEAT USd/bu 633.750 2 THE MONGOL MESSENGER news Friday, February 17, 2012 N E W S-IN-B R I E F–From The MONTSAME AGENCY Prime Minister meets with outgoing British ambassador On February 9, Prime Minister S. Batbold laid to introduce the Cambridge education lOn February 9, parliament made a decision rehabilitation; D.Shijirbaatar, head of Sukhbaatar received Ms. Thorda Abbott-Watt, Ambassador system in Mongolia, opening the opportunity for Khentii Aimag’s Bor-Ondor bagh (smallest aimag-based branch commission; D.Tsogtbaatar, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and for Mongolians to get internationally-recognized administrative unit in localities) to become Bor- head of the Union of Politically Repressed People; Northern Ireland to Mongolia, in conjunction education. Ondor Soum. Parliament approved a related draft and B.Bat-Erdene, judge of the State Supreme with the completion of her diplomatic mission He noted that the UK is playing a leading resolution with some 78 percent of MPs voting in Court. in Mongolia. At the meeting, the Prime Minister role in the worldwide activities against climate favor. MPs then backed issuing of a list of agenda lOn February 16, the very first session of the underlined that Mongolia-Britain relations and change and expressed the willingness of items for the spring session of parliament. Partnership for Women’s Organizations at the cooperation have been brought to a new step and Mongolia to cooperate with the UK. lOyu Tolgoi LLC has launched the enlisting of political parties of parliament took place in the that cooperation in the macroeconomic, banking In response, Ms. Abbott-Watt agreed with the Safety, Health, Environmental volunteer staff Chinggis Khaan hotel. and financial sectors has been widening. PM and said she was impressed by Mongolian in scope of its priority of safety and health for This session gathered women from the Mongolian The Prime Minister stressed that the pupils’ interest to study under the Cambridge employees. People’s Party (MPP), the Democratic Party (DP) capability of the Mongolian Stock Exchange standard. The goal of this initiative is to assure the and the Civil Will-Green Party (CWGP) under the has been improving thanks to establishing a Mentioning the 50th anniversary of health and safety of employees through their motto “Women can do it too”. strategic partnership with the London Stock Mongolia-UK diplomatic relations, Ms. Abbott- own participation. In another words, this Women at the MPP ran discussions titled Exchange (LSE). He underlined that cooperation Watt underlined its importance and said she will demonstrates that the contribution, participation “Sufficiency of maternity hospitals and solutions in the educational sector has been developing actively participate in celebrating this date. and responsibility of each employee of OT is very to problems”, whereas the CWGP and DP’s women successfully; for example, the basis has been important for ensuring the overall health, safety delivered reports highlighting kindergartens and operation of the company.