1 MONGOLIA MARKS CENTENNIAL WITH A NEW COURSE FOR CHANGE WWW.EASTASIAFORUM.ORG PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      2 E-MART OPENS FIFTH STORE IN ULAANBAATAR, MONGOLIA, TARGETING K-FOOD CRAZE WWW.BIZ.CHOSUN.COM PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      3 JAPAN AND MONGOLIA FORGE HISTORIC DEFENSE PACT UNDER THIRD NEIGHBOR STRATEGY WWW.ARMYRECOGNITION.COM  PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      4 CENTRAL BANK LOWERS ECONOMIC GROWTH FORECAST TO 5.2% WWW.UBPOST.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      5 L. OYUN-ERDENE: EVERY CITIZEN WILL RECEIVE 350,000 MNT IN DIVIDENDS WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      6 THE BILL TO ELIMINATE THE QUOTA FOR FOREIGN WORKERS IN MONGOLIA HAS BEEN SUBMITTED WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      7 THE SECOND NATIONAL ONCOLOGY CENTER TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN ULAANBAATAR WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/20      8 GREEN BOND ISSUED FOR WASTE RECYCLING WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      9 BAGANUUR 50 MW BATTERY STORAGE POWER STATION SUPPLIES ENERGY TO CENTRAL SYSTEM WWW.MONTSAME.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      10 THE PENSION AMOUNT INCREASED BY SIX PERCENT WWW.GOGO.MN PUBLISHED:2024/12/19      КОКС ХИМИЙН ҮЙЛДВЭРИЙН БҮТЭЭН БАЙГУУЛАЛТЫГ ИРЭХ ОНЫ ХОЁРДУГААР УЛИРАЛД ЭХЛҮҮЛНЭ WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     "ЭРДЭНЭС ТАВАНТОЛГОЙ” ХК-ИЙН ХУВЬЦАА ЭЗЭМШИГЧ ИРГЭН БҮРД 135 МЯНГАН ТӨГРӨГ ӨНӨӨДӨР ОЛГОНО WWW.MONTSAME.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     ХУРИМТЛАЛЫН САНГИЙН ОРЛОГО 2040 ОНД 38 ИХ НАЯДАД ХҮРЭХ ТӨСӨӨЛӨЛ ГАРСАН WWW.NEWS.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ЭРДЭНЭС ОЮУ ТОЛГОЙ” ХХК-ИАС ХЭРЛЭН ТООНО ТӨСЛИЙГ ӨМНӨГОВЬ АЙМАГТ ТАНИЛЦУУЛЛАА WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     Л.ОЮУН-ЭРДЭНЭ: ХУРИМТЛАЛЫН САНГААС НЭГ ИРГЭНД 135 МЯНГАН ТӨГРӨГИЙН ХАДГАЛАМЖ ҮҮСЛЭЭ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ENTRÉE RESOURCES” 2 ЖИЛ ГАРУЙ ҮРГЭЛЖИЛСЭН АРБИТРЫН МАРГААНД ЯЛАЛТ БАЙГУУЛАВ WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     “ORANO MINING”-ИЙН ГЭРЭЭ БОЛОН ГАШУУНСУХАЙТ-ГАНЦМОД БООМТЫН ТӨСЛИЙН АСУУДЛААР ЗАСГИЙН ГАЗАР ХУРАЛДАЖ БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/20     АЖИЛЧДЫН САРЫН ГОЛЧ ЦАЛИН III УЛИРЛЫН БАЙДЛААР ₮2 САЯ ОРЧИМ БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19     PROGRESSIVE EQUITY RESEARCH: 2025 ОН “PETRO MATAD” КОМПАНИД ЭЭЛТЭЙ БАЙХААР БАЙНА WWW.BLOOMBERGTV.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19     2026 ОНЫГ ДУУСТАЛ ГАДААД АЖИЛТНЫ ТОО, ХУВЬ ХЭМЖЭЭГ ХЯЗГААРЛАХГҮЙ БАЙХ ХУУЛИЙН ТӨСӨЛ ӨРГӨН МЭДҮҮЛЭВ WWW.EAGLE.MN НИЙТЭЛСЭН:2024/12/19    

Events

Name organizer Where
MBCC “Doing Business with Mongolia seminar and Christmas Receptiom” Dec 10. 2024 London UK MBCCI London UK Goodman LLC

NEWS

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Coal India pushes into solar www.mining.com

Coal India is diversifying its core business through a plan to install 600 megawatts of solar power in four states.

The announcement, published on Sunday by Economic Times, is part of an agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to build 1,000 megawatts of solar capacity throughout the country between 2014 and 2019.

"In the first phase, CIL is going to set up 2×100 MW solar power plants in the state of Madhya Pradesh. In the second phase CIL is going to develop a capacity of 600 MW in the solar parks of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal and Maharashtra for which NIT [Notice Inviting Tender] has already been floated by SECI," the world's largest coal producer said in its annual report.

India is the third-largest producer of coal, behind China and the U.S. Yet it relies heavily on imports because of mismanagement and an onerous bureaucracy in coal exploration, production and power generation. As a result, nearly a quarter of India's 1.2 billion people have no electricity, according to the World Bank.

The Indian government is well aware of the problem and has been actively pushing to not only produce more coal domestically, but also to diversify its energy mix.

“The world must turn to (the) sun to power our future,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the 2015 COP21 climate conference. “As the developing world lifts billions of people into prosperity, our hope for a sustainable planet rests on a bold, global initiative.” That plan is to derive 40 percent of its energy from renewable sources by 2030, including 100 GW of solar energy by 2022. The target is ambitious, since India currently only has about 8 GW of installed solar.

However strides are being made. A new report by Mercom Capital Group says that India is likely to install 4.8 GW of solar capacity in 2016. The clean energy communications and research firm also said the solar project pipeline in India is now about 21 GW, with 14 GW under development and 7 GW scheduled to be auctioned, as reported Sunday by Economic Times.

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China, U.S. commit to refrain from competitive currency devaluations www.reuters.com

(Reuters) - China and the United States on Sunday committed anew to refrain from competitive currency devaluations, and China said it would continue an orderly transition to a market-oriented exchange rate for the yuan CNY=CFXS.

A joint "fact sheet", issued a day after U.S. President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping held talks, also said the two countries had committed "not to unnecessarily limit or prevent commercial sales opportunities for foreign suppliers of ICT (information and communications technology) products or services".

While China and the United States cooperate closely on a range of global issues, including North Korea's disputed nuclear program and climate change, the two countries have deep disagreements in other areas, like cyberhacking and human rights.

Both countries said they would "refrain from competitive devaluations and not target exchange rates for competitive purposes", the fact sheet said.

Meanwhile, China would "continue an orderly transition to a market-determined exchange rate, enhancing two-way flexibility. China stresses that there is no basis for a sustained depreciation of the RMB (yuan). Both sides recognize the importance of clear policy communication."

China shocked global markets by devaluing the yuan in August 2015 and allowing it to slip sharply again early this year. Though it has stepped in to temper losses in recent weeks, the currency is still hovering near six-year lows against the dollar.

Xi and Obama met in Hangzhou in eastern China where leaders from the world's 20 leading economies, the G20, were gathering for a summit on Sunday and Monday.

Foreign business groups say China's pending cyber rules, including a cyber security law that could be passed this year, include provisions for invasive government security reviews and onerous requirements to keep data in China.

They say the regulations would create barriers to market entry for foreign companies and impair the country's security by isolating it technologically.

Global business groups spanning finance, information technology, insurance and manufacturing have urged China to revise its draft rules, and have pressed the U.S. government to raise the issue with Beijing.

The fact sheet said the two sides had committed to policies that "should treat technology in a non-discriminatory manner (and not) unnecessarily limit or prevent commercial sales opportunities for foreign suppliers of ICT products or services".

Other points from the fact sheet:

- Both sides commit to use all policy tools – monetary, fiscal and structural – to foster confidence and strengthen growth; fiscal policy should be used flexibly to strengthen growth, job creation and household demand.

- Building on current progress, China is to deepen supply-side structural reforms with a comprehensive strategy, including state-owned enterprise reform, giving full play to the role of the market and legal mechanisms, to reduce corporate debt, including SOE debt.

- The two sides recognize that structural problems, including excess capacity in some industries, have caused a negative impact on trade and workers; both countries recognize that excess capacity in steel and other industries is a global issue which requires collective responses.

- Both sides recognize that the effective and balanced protection of intellectual property rights will be beneficial to promote innovation. 

- They welcome the completion of peer review reports on the fossil fuel subsidies of the United States and China.

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“Invest Mongolia” international conference starts www.mongola.gogo.mn

Invest Mongolia International Conference starts at Shangri-La Hotel, Ulaanbaatar, with a key theme “Infrastructure development of Mongolia”.
Right now panel on the current economy and the Action Plan by the Government for the next four years commences. The panelists will discuss topics below. 
The current economic and budget situation in Mongolia
Priorities and Actions of the new Government in the next 4 years
The maturities of the huge sovereign debt in 2017 and its outlook of repayments
What else need to be done by the Government to satisfy foreign sovereign debt investors?
Pros and cons of relying on IMF
How to get financing internationally on growth area with priorities like Green Development, Renewable energy etc.
Panelists: N.Enkhbayar, Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister, Ch.Khaschuluun, CEO of Mongolia Oil Shale Association, Terrence Ortslan, Manging director, TSO & Associates, Bill Bikales. CEO, Bikales Advisors, A.Undraa, Parliament member.
The panel is being moderated by Graeme Knowd, Managing Director, Moody`s Investors Service.
In addition, panel on Mongolian banking industry and Bank strategies and Chamber`s panel are scheduled for today.

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Foreign businesses blamed DP and MPP www.gogo.mn

The first panel on the current economy and the Action Plan by the Government for the next four years has finished. 
Panelists: N.Enkhbayar, Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister, Ch.Khaschuluun, CEO of Mongolia Oil Shale Association, Terrence Ortslan, Manging director, TSO & Associates, Bill Bikales. CEO, Bikales Advisors, A.Undraa, Parliament member.
The panel was moderated by Graeme Knowd, Managing Director, Moody`s Investors Service.
Foreign panelists attending the Invest Mongolia international conference blamed DP and MPP for economic crisis faced by the country. 
They considered that economy worsened due to the wrong competition between the ruling parties. Instead competing each other to win the election, DP and MPP should have helped each other to tackle the economic downturn. Now the Government should seek long-term measurement to overcome crisis. 
In other words, it is better to choose a way to stabilize the economy for long-period. 
MP A.Undraa noted that Oyu Tolgoi LLC gives us opportunity to learn automation and robotation. I see optimistic future with economy but we need to be aware. 
Panelists expressed their hope for economic policies of Government action plan, which will be submitted to the autumn session of State Great Khural. They hope that the Government will submit brief and complex policy, covers all sectors. 
Compared to the previous years, both foreign and domestic representatives are attending the conference. Next panel on Mongolian banking industry and Bank strategies is scheduled at 2:20PM.

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Mongolia considers joining Eurasian Economic Union www.vom.mn

Mongolia considers joining Eurasian Economic Union. It was stated at the meeting between Chairman of the EEC Board Tigran Sargsyan and Mongolian Ambassador to Russia Banzragch Delgermaa. Mr Sargsyan expressed the confidence that EAEU and Mongolia will continue to successfully develop all-round cooperation in accordance with the memorandum of cooperation signed last year. The Mongolian Ambassador noted that a study group was established with the aim of developing the economic dialogue between EAEU and the government of Mongolia. Ambassador Delgermaa suggested considering the reduction of import duties on a number of Mongolian goods, and applying the experience of creating the FTA between Vietnam and EAEU to Mongolia. The sides agreed to hold a meeting of the study group in October. It will be co-located, on the proposal of the Mongolian Ambassador, with a joint business forum with the participation of businesses of Mongolia and the EAEU countries.

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$8.5bn Formula 1 sale set to cross the finish line www.bbc.com

The owner of Virgin Media is set to take control of Formula 1 in an $8.5bn (£6.5bn) deal.
John Malone's Liberty Media is expected to make the first of two payments on Tuesday, according to a German magazine.
Auto Motor und Sport said the deal had been confirmed by F1 chief executive Bernie Ecclestone.
The sale would allow US private equity firm CVC Capital Parners, which has a 35% stake, to exit F1.
CVC has held a stake for the past decade but sold some of its holding in 2012.
A sale would end years of speculation and rumours about a potential change of ownership for the motor sport.
Other parties said to have considered buying into F1 include Qatar Sports Investments, which owns Paris Saint-Germain football club; and Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins football team.
The Financial Times reported that Chase Carey, the executive vice-chairman of 21st Century Fox, would become chairman of F1.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner, who is close to 85-year-old Mr Ecclestone, has been tipped in the past as his possible successor.
Mr Ecclestone, who owns a 5.3% stake, met with CVC co-chairman Donald Mackenzie and Daimler chief executive Dieter Zetsche, whose company owns the Mercedes team, at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza on Sunday. Mr Ecclestone declined to comment about the sale.
The potential takeover by Liberty Media was met with cautious optimism in F1 circles.

CVC has been criticised for taking considerable profits from the sport, which has suffered from falling TV ratings in recent years.
The domination of the Red Bull and now Mercedes teams has made races more predictable. Mercedes team has won 13 of 14 races this season.
Given that Liberty is a media and entertainment group, analysts hope it will give more consideration to the spectacle offered by F1.
Mercedes team chief Toto Wolf said: "If there is an investor that wants to buy the shares it is good news for Formula One. Maybe it is good news that an American media company buys Formula One. There are things we can learn from the American way, particularly in digital areas."

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G20 discusses tax and corruption www.nhk.or.jp

Leaders of the Group of 20 industrialized and emerging economies are discussing corruption and fairness of taxation.

Participants at the G20 summit met in the Chinese city of Hangzhou for the second day of talks on Monday.

The leak earlier this year of the Panama Papers, a massive trove of documents on tax havens, shed light on the issue of global tax evasion and avoidance.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was expected to stress the importance of building an international taxation framework to prevent such practices.

Abe was also expected to offer support to countries attempting to crack down on corruption.

The Prime Minister is believed to have said corruption by public officials encourages terrorism and crime, and hinders economic growth.

The leaders will use the afternoon session to address terrorism and refugee issues as well as over-production of steel by China.

The meeting will close on Monday evening with a joint declaration.

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Director bonuses continue to grow at largest UK firms, City analyst says www.theguardian.com

The UK’s largest firms paid directors bigger bonuses in 2015 than the previous year, despite a fall in the number of shareholders backing their remuneration plans, according to analysis by Deloitte.
 
The City firm, which advises many top companies on how to pay executives, said new regulations that increased disclosure and brought in binding votes on board pay had to some extent put the brakes on executive payouts amongst FTSE 100 firms.
 
The median salary increased by 2% in 2015, in line with the previous three years, and the median amount that could be earned as a bonus remained at 150% of salary, where it has been since 2007.
 
But its analysis of the UK’s largest companies found that bonus payments in respect of performance increased last year, with the median payout rising to 77% of the maximum possible, from 73% in 2014. Only four companies paid no bonus to executive directors, it said, while seven companies paid the maximum amount possible.
 
This year has seen more companies face a pay revolt than the so-called shareholder spring in 2012, Deloitte said, suggesting that it could be a “pivotal moment for executive pay”. Eight companies have received less than 75% backing from investors for their remuneration reports and two failed to secure a majority. Just 26% of the top 30 companies were approved by 95% of shareholders or more, just half of the proportion of last year.
 
In April, 60% of shareholders voted against a £14m pay package for the chief executive of BP, in a year in which it reported record losses and cut thousands of jobs, and more than 50% of investors voted against pay deals at the medical equipment group Smith & Nephew. Other big firms also faced pay rebellions.
 
Stephen Cahill, partner in Deloitte’s remuneration team, said: “While we’re still talking about a relatively small number of companies, this is rightly a cause for concern. The 2016 AGM season has been bruising for a number of companies, perhaps even more so than the shareholder spring of 2012.”
 
Deloitte said concerns raised by shareholders included bonus targets not being disclosed and a lack of transparency about the link between executive pay and the performance of the business.
 
Cahill said median bonus payouts had consistently been between 70% and 80% of the maximum every year for the last 10 years. “We believe there needs to be much more rigour in the way the targets for these plans are determined, more discretion used to ensure payouts reflect overall performance, and greater scrutiny by investors once the targets are disclosed.”
 
Votes on remuneration that has already been paid are not binding for firms, but it has been suggested that the rules be changed. Cahill said this would cause some practical issues and may make shareholders more reluctant to vote against a deal. Instead he suggested a “yellow card” approach: “For example, if a company received less than 75% of votes in support a binding vote would be required in the following year, giving the company time to address the problem.”
 
 
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G20 summit to open on Sunday www3.nhk.or.jp

Leaders of 20 industrialized and emerging economies will meet in China on Sunday to discuss challenges facing the global economy.
 
The Group of 20 summit will be held for 2 days in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province. Participants include Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, US President Barack Obama, and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
 
The summit comes at a time when the global economy faces downward risks such as the slowdown in emerging economies, Britain's decision to leave the European Union, and frequent terrorist attacks.
 
High on the agenda is how countries will cooperate to maintain a sustainable growth.
 
China, the chair country, has called for stepping up structural reform to ease excessive global production. It also hopes to expand trade and investment as a driving force for a new growth.
 
Attention is focused on whether the leaders can agree on implementing monetary, fiscal and structural policy measures to eliminate protectionism.
 
The leaders are holding bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit. Experts suggest they are discussing security issues, such as the situation in the Korean Peninsula and anti-terrorism measures, as well as economic issues.
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Microsoft gets support in gag order lawsuit from U.S. companies www.reuters.com

Technology, media, pharmaceutical and other companies, along with major corporate lobbying groups, filed legal briefs on Friday in support of a Microsoft Corp lawsuit that aims to strike down a law preventing companies from telling customers the government is seeking their data.
 
Friday was the deadline for filing of friend-of-the-court briefs by nonparticipants in the case. The filings show broad support for Microsoft and the technology industry in its latest high-profile clash with the U.S. Justice Department over digital privacy and surveillance.
 
Microsoft's backers included the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the National Association of Manufacturers, Delta Air Lines Inc, Eli Lilly and Co, BP America, the Washington Post, Fox News, the National Newspaper Association, Apple Inc, Alphabet Inc's Google, Amazon.com Inc, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and many others.
 
Microsoft filed its lawsuit in Seattle federal court in April, arguing that a law allowing the government to seize computer data located on third-party computers and often barring companies from telling their customers that they are targets is unconstitutional.
 
The Justice Department argues that Microsoft has no standing to bring the case and the public has a "compelling interest in keeping criminal investigations confidential." Procedural safeguards also protect constitutional rights, it contends. A Justice Department spokesman declined comment on Friday's filings.
 
Microsoft says the government is violating the Fourth Amendment, which establishes the right for people and businesses to know if the government searches or seizes their property, in addition to Microsoft's First Amendment right to free speech.
 
In the suit, which focuses on the storage of data on remote servers that are often referred to as "cloud" computers, Microsoft said it had been subjected to 2,600 federal court orders within the past 18 months prohibiting the company from informing customers their data was given to authorities pursuing criminal investigations.
 
Under the authority of the 30-year-old Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA), the government is increasingly directing investigations at parties that store data in the cloud, Microsoft argued in its suit.
 
Five former law enforcement officials who worked for the FBI or Justice Department in Washington state also submitted a brief supporting Microsoft.
 
In July, a federal appeals court sided 3-0 with Microsoft in a separate case against the Justice Department, ruling the government could not force the tech company to hand over customer emails stored on servers outside the United States.
 
The Justice Department has not decided whether to appeal that decision, a spokesman said.
 
The case is Microsoft Corp v United States Department of Justice et al in the United States District Court, Western District of Washington, No. 2:16-cv-00537.
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