Mongolia has started manufacturing polyethylene (PE) stretch and shrink film, using domestically recycled raw materials.

Of the 50 factories in Mongolia that manufacture PE bottles and stretch and shrink films, 30 are currently operational. While for the new factory “Multipack”, which was opened on April 10, is the first factory that manufactures finished goods using domestically recycled raw materials.

“I would like to highlight the sustainable features of our factory. First of all, our factory filters its gray water 8 times and reuses it. Secondly, 30% of raw materials that we use in our production are recycled and thirdly, we consume four times less energy than other factories.” Executive director of “Multipack” LLC E. Tod-Od said. Our company was established in 2010 and in the past, we used to import raw materials from China, but now, with the commencement of this new factory, we are processing the raw materials domestically, he continued.

Processing the raw materials for polyethylene film production from domestic wastes will reduce not only waste but also imported polyethylene products.

The “Multipack” factory consists of two sections which are recycling and production and offers two types of products- stretch film and shrink film- to the market. They manufacture their products according to German technology, ensuring high quality.

“Multipack” purchases their wastes from customers, and then, recycles and reuses them in their further production. In other words, it is a zero-waste factory.

Some of their customers and partners took part in the New Factory Opening Ceremony and shared their impressions about their products and newly opened factory with us. One of them, a General Manager of “General Sky Mongolia” LLC P. Bolor-Erdene said, “We have been cooperating with the “Multipack” LLC for almost 10 years. We use their shrink films a lot. I think, one of the advantages they offer for their customers is the re-collection of their waste. For example, we collect shrink film rolls and sell them back to the factory. It gives us not only monetary benefits but also an opportunity to reassure our eco-friendly decisions. We would like to congratulate them on opening a zero-waste and eco-friendly factory.”

The Government of Mongolia has declared 2023-2025 as the "Years to Visit Mongolia." As part of the National Campaign, figure skating masters from Russia will be showcasing their breathtaking talents at the Steppe Arena in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. The “first-ever full-scale figure skating show in Mongolia will be presented on May 6, 2023,” reported the Mongolian State Committee of Physical Culture and Sports.

Buy Tickets: https://steppearena.mn/

Who will show off their talents?

Kamila Valeryevna Valieva

-She is the 2022 European Champion, 2021 Rostelecom Cup Champion, 2021 Skate Canada International Champion, and 2021 and 2023 Russian National Silver Medalist.

Elizaveta Sergeyevna Tuktamysheva

-She is the 2015 World Champion, the 2021 World Silver Medalist, the 2015 European Champion, the 2014–15 Grand Prix Final Champion, a 14-time Medalist on the Grand Prix series, and the 2013 Russian National Champion.

Adeliia Tigranovna Petrosian

-The 2023 Russian Grand Prix Final Champion, the 2021 JGP Slovenia Champion, the 2021 Russian Junior Silver Medalist, and the 2022 Russian National Bronze Medalist.

Sofia Dmitrievna Akateva

-She is the 2023 Russian champion. At the junior level, she is the 2021 JGP Russia Champion, the 2021 JGP Poland Champion, a Two-time Russian Junior National Champion (2021, 2022), and currently holds the junior women's world records for the highest total and free skate scores.

Evgeni Stanislavovich Semenenko

-The 2021 Skate Canada Bronze Medalist and the 2023 Russian National Champion.

Dmitri Sergeyevich Aliev

-He is the 2020 European champion and the 2020 Russian national champion.

Mark Valeryevich Kondratiuk

-A 2022 Olympic Champion in the team event, 2022 European Champion, a Two-time Challenger Series Medalist, and the 2022 Russian National Champion.

Petr Olegovich Gumennik

-The 2020 Rostelecom Cup Bronze Medalist and 2019 CS Warsaw Cup Silver Medalist. He is also the 2020 World Junior Bronze Medalist and 2018 Junior Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist.

Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov

-The 2022 Olympic Champion in the team event and 2022 Olympic Pairs Bronze Medalist, the 2021 World Champion, the 2022 European Champion, the 2019–2020 Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist, a Three-time Grand Prix Event Champion, and the 2022 Russian National Champion.

Evgenia Tarasova Vladimir Morozov

-The 2022 Olympic Silver Medalist, a Three-time World Medalist (2018 and 2019 silver, 2017 bronze), a Two-time European Champion (2017, 2018), the 2016–17 Grand Prix Final Champion, and a three-time Russian National Champion (2018, 2019, 2021).

Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii

-The 2020 European Champion, the 2021 World Bronze Medalist, the 2019 European Bronze Medalist, a Six-time Grand Prix Medalist (including four golds), the 2020 Russian National Champion, and a four-time Russian National Medalist.

Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov

-The 2022 Olympic Champion in the team event, 2022 Olympic Silver Medalist, 2021 World Champion, Two-time European Champion (2020,2022), the 2019 World Silver Medalist, the 2018–19 Grand Prix Final Silver Medalist, and a Two-time Russian National Champion (2019–2020).

The Mongolian government approved the law on mining stock exchange. It will enter into force from 1 July. Therefore, Mongolia plans to sell 50-60 percent of coal through stock exchange.

The coal will be sold on the basis of Mongolian Stock Exchange.

The Erdenes Mongol company sell from 130,000 to 140,000 tons of coal to 21 company clients on three auctions starting from 9 February.

Mongolia plans to sell 12 million tons of coal until July 1, 2023. The yearly sale of coal is planned to be increased from 50 percet to 60 percent by 2024. All coal will be sold via stock exchange in 2025.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Moscow in late March and his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin shifted the global spotlight to Northeast Asia. In Mongolia, the country’s close proximity to Beijing and Moscow has created unease with the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and the China-U.S. economic tensions. Despite these geopolitical conundrums, Ulaanbaatar’s foreign policy adheres to its longstanding approach of maintaining strong ties with its geographic neighbors, while actively engaging the “third neighbor” countries.

In the days leading up to the Putin-Xi meeting and throughout the three-day visit, the increasing attention to Northeast Asia stressed the growing importance of Ulaanbaatar’s geopolitical position as a single democratic country sandwiched between two growing authoritarian regimes that are deemed to be anti-Western.

However, to Mongolia, a meeting between the leaders of its neighbors is nothing unusual. In fact, during these high-level meetings, Mongolia seeks economic and cooperation opportunities to strengthen diplomatic and economic trilateral ties. One major development that was reportedly under discussion between Xi and Putin was the potential launch of the Russia-Mongolia-China trilateral Power of Siberia-2 pipeline.

Mongolia hopes to become a transit partner for its neighbors. Mongolian Prime Minister Oyun-Erdene Luvsannamsrai mentioned the necessary steps of this mega project in a separate interview before the Putin-Xi meeting. He told Reuters, “After Russia and China decide on the pricing, Mongolia will decide on how they can use its territory to transport the gas.”

Beyond the importance of Mongolia’s economic gains from such a high-level meeting, Ulaanbaatar, too, hoped that Xi could convince Putin to seek a peaceful solution to the ongoing war in Ukraine, so that China and Russia can continue their strong relations. As it currently stands, Beijing might be feeling pressure from the international community.

While the current geopolitical context has shifted, China-Mongolia-Russia trilateral relations are well positioned to weather the storm. Their trilateral mechanisms are historically rooted but also extremely relevant today.

Ulaanbaatar’s trilateral relationship with Beijing and Moscow is driven by the interconnectedness of the three countries’ economies, particularly in the energy sector. Mongolia’s abundance of minerals makes China an crucial economic partner. Moscow, on the other hand, is irreplaceable as an energy supplier. Hence, from this point of view, it is important for Mongolia to continue prioritizing economic ties with both Russia and China – but to do so while maintaining its democratic values.

Despite Beijing and Moscow’s increasingly authoritarian governance, Mongolia continues to adhere to democratic values and principles. The Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI) ranked Mongolia’s “political transformation” toward democracy at 7.25 out of a max score of 10, good for 26th out of 137 countries included in the rankings (and well above the global average of 5.4). Mongolia tops the score table for what BTI calls the region of “post-Soviet Eurasia,” which includes Mongolia as well as countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Russia’s political score was 4.40, in the “moderate autocracy” category, while China’s was 3.23, making it a “hard-line autocracy.” The fact that Mongolia’s governance is not following the trend of its neighbors should be recognized, even while its democracy must be strengthened constantly.

Mongolia’s bilateral relations with Russia and China go beyond Xi and Putin’s long reigns as head of state. While Mongolia’s foreign policy supports the strengthening of economic and diplomatic ties with both Beijing and Moscow, the aim is to adhere to Mongolia’s democratic concepts and principles.

Moreover, the relationship between Russia and Mongolia on one hand and China and Mongolia on the other are not the same either. But to maximize foreign policy flexibility and economic strength, Mongolia’s comprehensive strategic partnerships with Russia and China are paramount. And these relations are intertwined with history, people-to-people relations, deep cultural ties, and other important aspects that make up strong bilateral ties.

Amid the Russia-Ukraine war, Mongolia’s foreign policy will continue to support peaceful dialogues that strengthen both regional and global security. While Mongolia may refrain from getting directly involved in armed conflicts, its non-military contribution such as humanitarian assistance and disaster relief funds, deserve recognition.

While relations with China and Russia has irreplaceable value for Mongolia’s economy, what is equally important to Mongolia is each state’s peaceful, non-threatening existence and multilateral collaborations.

Given Mongolia’s geopolitical constraints, some analysts underestimate Mongolia’s third neighbor’s foreign policy due to its strong ties with Russia and China. However, oftentimes these perspectives view Mongolia from the Cold War narrative, which boxes Ulaanbaatar into the Beijing-Moscow periphery, not necessarily an independent agent of foreign policy. With this constricted viewpoint, one cannot assess the strength, potential, or significance of Ulaanbaatar’s independent foreign policy and all its working mechanisms.

GUEST AUTHOR

Bolor Lkhaajav

Bolor Lkhaajav is a researcher specializing in Mongolia, China, Russia, Japan, East Asia, and the Americas. She holds an M.A. in Asia-Pacific Studies from the University of San Francisco.

The Government of Mongolia has launched a new online platform to enable businesses to easily start up and grow, reducing both waiting times and bureaucracy.

"E-Business" – e-business.mn – was developed by young engineers at the E-Mongolia Academy and launched by the Prime Minister of Mongolia. It marks the next step in the digital transformation of the Mongolian economy.

On average, 1,540 new legal entities are established in Mongolia each month, yet those setting up new businesses often have to visit the state registration office and financial institutions several times before they can get up and running. Once they start trading, businesses in Mongolia have previously faced unnecessary bureaucracy.

E-Business will streamline exchanges between businesses and government agencies and also make it possible to register a business in Mongolia from anywhere in the world. Services that can be accessed via the platform include obtaining a legal entity name, registering a business property list and obtaining an electronic certificate.

By making the permitting system more transparent, the platform will also support the Government's efforts to combat corruption. The launch of E-Business comes as the anti-corruption agency submitted its formal strategy to tackle corruption in Mongolia to the country's parliament today (11 April). This document is set to form Mongolia's first national strategy to combat corruption, and deliver benefits such as resolving the cases of corrupt officials, extraditing criminals who have fled abroad and removing the immunity of politically exposed persons (such as members of parliament). Placing public consultation at the heart of the policy development process is also a primary objective of the strategy.

Following the creation of the E-Business platform, establishing a new business in Mongolia can take place at reduced cost and in as little as two days, putting Mongolia in the same company as many advanced economies on this metric.

Commenting on the launch of E-Business, the Prime Minister of Mongolia L. Oyun-Erdene said:

"The greater use of digital technology is a core part of modernising Mongolia's economy and making our country a better place to do business.

"The launch of E-Business today is a key step on this journey. By eliminating unnecessary bureaucracy while also playing a key role in helping us tackle corruption, this new platform is vital in making Mongolia more business-friendly and attracting the foreign investment needed to support our long-term growth."

Cision

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/.../new-mongolian-e-business...

SOURCE The Government of Mongolia

Interest rates in major economies are expected to fall to pre-pandemic levels because of low productivity and ageing populations, according to a forecast.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) said increases in borrowing costs are likely to be "temporary" once high inflation is brought under control.

The Bank of England has been raising interest rates since December 2021, taking them from 0.1% to 4.25%.

This has raised mortgage payments for many homeowners.

Central banks in the UK, the US, Europe and other nations have been lifting interest rates to combat the rate of price rises, otherwise known as inflation.

In the UK, inflation is at its highest for nearly 40 years because of rising energy prices and soaring food costs. A number of factors are fuelling inflation, including Russia's invasion of Ukraine which has helped drive up energy costs.

However, in a blog the IMF said that "recent increases in real interest rates are likely to be temporary".

It added "When inflation is brought back under control, advanced economies' central banks are likely to ease monetary policy and bring real interest rates back towards pre-pandemic levels."

The IMF did not say, however, exactly when interest rates were set to fall back to lower levels.

The Washington-based financial institution said ageing populations would be one factor likely to lower inflation.

Explaining why older people affect inflation, George Godber, fund manager at Polar Capital, said that they tend to spend less.

"The amount that you spend relative to your income is highest when you're in your 20s, 30s and 40s - often that's maybe young families, when you've got households forming, you've got couples coming together, they tend to spend the most when they decorate and buy a car or whatever, and you as you get older in life you slow down your consumption," he told the BBC's Today programme.

"There's less heading to Glastonbury and nights out on the town, there's more sitting at home and watching the Antiques Roadshow, so therefore your spending patterns sort of reduce and you save more and so an ageing population tends to be disinflationary."

Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England, said recently that in the UK, the share of adults aged between 20 and 59 years-old has fallen to below 65% in the past decade "and it is set to decline further in the coming years".

He said that this has been driven by a decline in birth rates as well as people living for longer.

The IMF also said low productivity - the measure of how many goods and services are produced - would bring inflation down.

In a speech last month, Mr Bailey said that prior to the financial crisis in 2008, UK productivity had been boosted by the country's manufacturing sector.

"But following the financial crisis, manufacturing productivity growth fell back sharply. This fall in manufacturing productivity is the main cause of the slowdown," he said.

Just prior to the Covid pandemic, the UK's interest rate was 0.75% but the Bank of England cut it twice in March 2020 to 0.1% as the country entered lockdown.

The rate of inflation has risen steadily over the past couple of years and hit 10.4% in February - more than five times higher than the Bank of England's 2% target.

Following the decision to raise UK interest rates again in March, the Bank of England said that it expected inflation "to fall sharply over the rest of the year".

This is due to the government's continuing help with household heating bills through the Energy Price Guarantee scheme as well as falling wholesale gas prices.

However, Mr Bailey declined to say whether he believed that interest rates had reached a peak.

The “Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development” (FORUM-ASIA) conducted fact-finding research in October 2022 and held its report launch on “From Dreams to Dust: Examining the Impact of Mining on Herder Communities in Mongolia” on April 10, 2023.

The research team collected testimonies and data from a wide range of stakeholders in Dalanjargalan, Ulaanbadrakh, and Khatanbulag soums of Dornogobi aimag. They shed light on the harmful and sometimes fatal impact of mining operations on the communities’ rights, including their health, livelihoods, and environment.

Based on the findings of the research, the “Forum-Asia” has developed recommendations for each stakeholder at the local, national, and international levels, including government, mining companies, human rights defenders, media, etc. At a national level, one of the recommendations was to establish more detailed and well-rounded criteria for granting and renewing licenses on exploration and extraction, with clear guidelines for respecting and protecting the community’s right to a healthy, safe, and clean environment.

Head of the Centre for Human Rights and Development, which participated in this research as a partner, G. Urantsooj encouraged the mining companies to fully comply with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and all relevant national laws and regulations on mining, human rights, and environmental protection at the report launch. Moreover, she said that the companies must rehabilitate and restore the land once operations are completed, ensuring minimal long-term impact on the environment and surrounding communities.

The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) is a network of 85 member organizations across 23 countries, mainly in Asia. Founded in 1991, FORUM-ASIA works to strengthen movements for human rights and sustainable development through research, advocacy, capacity development, and solidarity actions in Asia and beyond. It has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and a consultative relationship with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.

The Kazakh people’s annual Golden Eagle Festival is a chance for hunters to show off their skills and engage the next generation. Eagle hunters love to use their centuries-old horse and eagle equipment in a traditional way, from their forefathers, and … are keen to pass them on to the next generation. In order to do this, they need to show it, need to promote it, and need to be an example while they are gathering at the same place, such as the annual eagle festival. Photographers help them to promote and raise awareness.

This type of tourism also brings vital funds, without which most eagle hunters could no longer afford to train their birds; a trained golden eagle needs around 160 kilos of meat per year at no small cost. Full-time eagle hunters are also domestic animal herders and most of them have no job so they earn from tourism activities.