Prime Minister L.Oyun-Erdene met with Minister of Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of the Cyber Security Agency and Smart Nation Initiative of the Republic of Singapore Josephine Teo today.

While emphasizing the crucial role of the internet and information technology in the development of the rapidly evolving world, the Prime Minister introduced the Government of Mongolia’s goal of becoming a digital nation, as well as the works that are underway to achieve this goal.

“The Government of Mongolia made changes to its structure, establishing the Ministry of Communications and Digital Development. Information technology is one of the six priority sectors reflected in Mongolia’s long-term development policy, ‘Vision-2050’. By introducing good practices of the leading countries in the industry, the Government is aiming to implement the ‘Digital City’ project”, said the Prime Minister.

Ideas were exchanged on cooperation with Singapore in the directions such as introducing Singapore's good practices in Mongolia, making reforms to civil service based on the digital transition, improving digital governance, strengthening the communications sector, and ensuring cyber security.

The sides agreed to intensify the cooperation between the Ministry of Communications and Digital Development of Mongolia and the Ministry of Communications and Information of Singapore and to cooperate in future joint projects and programs, and in the fields of innovation, digital development, and information technology.

“Over the years, the experiences of many countries have been studied in increasing the productivity of the public sector, urban planning and solving traffic congestion”, said the Minister, while expressing readiness to share its good practices in this regard.

A Mongolian producer “Mind Tech” company has started exporting rapeseed oil to South Korea with a contract signed for supplying 800 tons of oil in the first phase. In late April, an initial export contract worth USD1.4 million was made with Dansuk Industrial Co., Ltd. of Korea. The company’s factory “Selenge” operates with an annual capacity of processing 35,000 tons of Rapeseeds, 100 tons of Rapeseed per day. Its capacity can be increased to 300 tons in the future. At present, the plant employs 40% of the total capacity.

It becomes necessary to grow black Rapeseed plantation, the primary raw Vegetable Oil material for export. If the main product— black Rapeseed— can be cultivated more, it will not only satisfy the domestic needs, but it will also be possible to export vegetable oil to many other countries such as China and Japan. Mongolian vegetable oil has many advantages, such as being grown in healthy organic soil, free of trans fat, and low in saturated fat.

Currently, 40-50% of the total imported vegetable oil is Sunflower Oil, 20-30% is Palm Oil, more than 20% is Soybean Oil, and 3-5% is Rapeseed Oil. More than 90% of Sunflower Oil and 50% of Soybean Oil imports are from Russia, while more than 80% of Palm Oil is from Malaysia and more than 90% of rapeseed oil is imported from Russia and Germany combined.

Soil Issues Concerns Grow Among the Agrarians

Initial developments of Rapeseed planting started in Mongolia in mid-2000 as Chinese businesses entered this field. The majority of Mongolian Rapeseed crop is exported to China. The crop totaled 51,762 tons last year, up 130% y-o-y. Although Mongolian Statistics data shows that rapeseed is planted on 86,000 hectares, some sources claim the crop area is as high as 100,000 hectares.

If the same plant is planted repeatedly, diseases and pests will appear, and it will reduce the fertility of the soil. Local farmers comment: “Rapeseed should be cultivated once in 4 years, but they cultivate it every two years. As long as there is a field left, they are planting Rapeseed for high profit gaining and creating a mess.” Some farmers criticize that Chinese crop industry policy is being implemented on Mongolian soil and worry about soil deterioration.

Only four Chinese merchandisers purchase Mongolian Rapeseeds by setting a monopoly. They know whether to buy Rapeseeds at a high or low price. Mongolian planters also purchase the seeds at whatever price Chinese traders say. Chinese businessmen buy Rapeseed for MNT 1.8-2 million (USD600-666) per quintals in autumn. But in the spring, the seeds are sold for between MNT 4-6 million (USD1,330-2,000). And when it is exported to China, it is shipped without paying a single penny of tax and makes much revenue. Rapeseed is three times as expensive as Wheat in Mongolia.

As part of the Agricultural Ministry’s policy, 25-30% of the total cultivated area must be planted with Rapeseed. “If farmers follow the technological recommendations and plant Rapeseed in rotation, there will not be much negative impact” said Mr.Esun-Erdene, Head of Division for Soil, plant protection, and seeds and sorts at the Ministry of Agriculture. “It is dangerous if it is constantly planted with seeds that are not approved, cheap, and of unknown origin. It is time the Ministry policy sorts out the country’s illegal and unknown seeds.”

At a broader level, it is considered appropriate to increase the customs duty on imported products of the same type as Edible Vegetable Oils, exempt Rapeseed and Edible Oils from VAT, and stop the cultivation of non-standard Rapeseed.

Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia S.Amarsaikhan received Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Republic of China to Mongolia Chai Wenrui, discussing the issue of enhancing bilateral economic cooperation and intensifying activities of border checkpoints.

During the meeting, the Deputy PM informed the Ambassador that preparations are complete for the expansion of ‘Zero Point’ between the borders of Mongolia and China.

Emphasizing that intensifying the activities of border checkpoints is of mutual interest, the Ambassador highlighted the importance of enhancing traditional forms of activities alongside introducing automatic guided vehicles (AGV).

Moreover, the Ambassador mentioned that the Chinese side is pursuing the direction of taking all possible measures, such as increasing the capacity and restoring the operations of the border checkpoints, and said that the resumption of flights between the two countries is an important step.

Mongolia welcomed a total of 73,161 foreign tourists in the first half of this year, up 537.6 percent year-on-year, the country's Ministry of Environment and Tourism said Wednesday.

The dramatic increase was attributed to Mongolia's re-opening of its borders to foreign tourists in February, the ministry said.

Russia, South Korea and Kazakhstan were the biggest sources of tourist arrivals for Mongolia in the January-June period, it said.

Among measures to revive its pandemic-hit tourism sector, the Mongolian government on Tuesday made a decision to declare 2023 and 2024 as "Years to Visit Mongolia."

In addition, the government has decided to allow South Korean tourists to visit Mongolia without a visa for up to 90 days until the end of 2024. The visa-free policy took effect on June 1.

Currently, Mongolia's economy is largely dependent on its export-oriented mining sector. Developing tourism is seen as the most viable way to diversify the economy.

The Asian country has set a goal of welcoming one million foreign tourists and earning 1 billion U.S. dollars from tourism in 2024.

Yesterday, July 6, Prime Minister of Mongolia L.Oyun-Erdene arrived in Singapore for an official visit at the invitation of the Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong.

At the Changi International Airport, the Prime Minister of Mongolia was welcomed by the Minister for Manpower and Second Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore Tan See Leng and Singaporean Ambassador to Mongolia Teo Boon Hee. This visit is a return visit to the official visit of Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong to Mongolia in 2016.

During the visit, Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene will pay a courtesy call on President of Singapore Ms. Halimah Yacob, hold official talks with Prime Minister Mr. Lee Hsien Loong and meet with Minister of Communications and Information of Singapore Ms. Josephine Teo. The Prime Minister also plans to visit with the leadership of the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise, the Central Provident Fund, the Housing & Development Board, Temasek Foundation International, and the National University of Singapore.

The visit will make a significant contribution to strengthening the friendly relations with Singapore, a member state of ASEAN, intensifying political dialogue, and expanding mutually beneficial cooperation in trade, investment, economy, and other areas.

The main objective of the visit is to learn and master Singapore’s good practices on public service reform, development of e-governance, urban planning, information technology, and capacity building, as well as discuss the projects to be implemented within the framework of the ‘New Revival Policy’ of Mongolia and establish relevant agreements of bilateral cooperation.

The Mongolian Parliament has approved plans to transfer a number of state-owned companies to partial public control during 2022-23, with the proceeds to be used to invest in technological innovation.

At the regular session of the Parliament held on 29th June, legislators instructed shareholders of a number of state-owned entities to prepare additional stock offerings and register on the Mongolian Stock Exchange. Mongolia Telecom Company LC, Information Communication Network LLC, Information Technology Park, and road maintenance companies were included in the list of state-owned companies, up to 34% of which will be transferred to public control via. brokers.

The Mongolian Prime Minister, L. Oyun-Erdene, has instructed relevant officials to boost the process of transferring the control of state-owned entities to the public and give support to the development of the Mongolian Stock Exchange.

Commenting, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia Amarsaikhan Sainbuyan said: “The decision to open up these state-owned assets and place them in public control is a vital step in making them fit for the future and in driving the wider modernisation of the Mongolian economy.

“The pace of technological change demands that organisations adapt to continue to meet the needs of citizens, and by increasing the funds available to these entities this programme will provide a significant boost to this process.”

This development is the latest example of how Mongolia is implementing its ‘New Recovery Policy’, designed to boost the living standards of Mongolian citizens and attract more international investment into the country. The Policy invites local businesses, foreign partners and international organisations to cooperate on a 150 trillion MNT investment goal that aims to double GDP by addressing current issues in six key areas: energy, border ports, industrialization, urban and rural recovery, green development, and public sector efficiency.

Parliament also took the decision on 29th June to merge a number of state-owned companies, as well as approve other changes.

Transferring state-owned companies to public control: next steps

Following the decision to approve the list of state-owned companies to be transferred to public control, Parliament gave an order to call for shareholders' meetings of approved state-owned entities, to decide on additional stock quantity and its price, to provide an initial offering of the additional stock to current shareholders, and to get the entities registered on the Mongolian Stock Exchange.

In accordance with the Mongolian Government's policy, the Cabinet has ordered the representatives and executives of each entity to hold the listed shareholders meeting immediately, to release additional shares and unit prices and offer them to the current shareholders, to register at the Mongolian Stock Exchange, and to invest the revenues of the stock in the company's technological innovations. The Chief of the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of Mongolia, Ts. Nyamdorj, and the Head of State Procurement Agency, B. Tsengel, have been ordered to carry out the release of the additional shares, to legally provide the availabilities of public exchanges, and to present to the Cabinet.

Merger of and other changes to state-owned entities

The following mergers and other decisions relating to state-owned companies were agreed during the regular Parliamentary session on 29th June:

The “Mongolian water” state-owned enterprise factory was closed down

The “White falcon” state-owned factory was merged with the “Burte” state-owned factory

“Buyant Ukhaa” sports hall was merged with the “Training and learning center of the National team”

Relevant authorities have been ordered to carry out the process of merging the "Energy development center" and the "Geology research center" and turning them into a state-owned LLC, and to present to the Cabinet

Operating entities such as "Mongolian National Radio and Television Broadcasting Network", "Climate Change Research and Cooperation Centre", "Mongolian Tourism Organization", "Mongolia-Kuwait Nature Reserve Center", "Mongolian Commodity Exchange", "Auto Impex", and "Darkhan Hides Complex Establishment", that do not require state cooperation and are manageable by private sector, are to be closed down or to be merged with similar operating entities

Relevant ministry and agencies and State procurement agency have been ordered to carry out such structural changes and have it discussed by the cabinet by August 2022

Over the last seven months Cipher’s Experts have been working with Mongolian colleagues to assess the coalbed gas resources of Mongolia. The report was signed off just before the 30th of June, on time and to budget.

Mongolian team consisted of experts from the Mineral Resources and Petroleum Authority of Mongolia (MRPAM), National Geological Survey (NGS) of Mongolia and the National University of Mongolia. Specifically we’d like to thank Prof Erdentsogt, B. whose team identified most of the potential areas for assessment. Also, the management of project by Mendee Budee (AMEP) has been exceptional and we’d like to give our huge thanks to her careful guidance.

The Cipher team consisted of Dr Tim A Moore (geologist), Mike C. Friederich (geologist), Ryan D Morris (hydrogeologist) and Chris M. Nelson (gas specialist). Also Tianjiao Yu (Cipher Associate and QUT PhD student) provided crucial technical and research back up.

The philosophy behind area identification was to determine resources only in those areas where reliable data was obtainable within the logistical constraints of the program. With further work, application of subsurface and airborne geophysics is anticipated to increase these resource estimates. Both original gas in-place and undiscovered, unrisked Prospective Resources1 were determined, the latter of which has been assessed to be just over 7 trillion cubic meters (TCM) at the P50 level.

The report represents the first coalbed gas assessment concentrating solely on reservoirs away from immediate mining areas; estimates have been conducted using a probabilistic approach2. It anticipated the report would be made available to the public soon; each of the 80+ areas that have been assessed has the range of all the input variables delineated. The hope is that others will build on the knowledge of this report and modify and update data as more detailed assessments are made on individual areas.

More details about the workshop can be found here: https://www.amep.mn/news-detail/50. A brief description of the workshops is below along with links to the presentations (also found in the AMEP website).

July 6 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia has raised the legal minimum age of child jockeys to eight, local media reported on Wednesday, citing the country's authority for family, child and youth development.

The move came after issues related to rights and safety of child jockeys are being raised at a time when the Mongolian national holiday Naadam, which features horse racing, archery and wrestling, is approaching.

In addition, relevant recommendations for child jockeys, their parents and horse trainers are being provided in order to ensure the safety of children, the authority said in a statement.

According to the previous Rules of the National Naadam Horse Racing, the minimum age of child jockeys was seven years old. However, the rule had not been applied to all horse races organized throughout the year in the country.

So far this year, about 3,200 child jockeys have participated in a total of 82 horse races across the country, according to the authority. During the horse races, a child jockey died and nine others have been seriously injured.

Horse racing of the national holiday Naadam is the most coveted, most watched and most competitive one.

Inscribed in UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, the official holiday is celebrated from July 11-15.

Safe, quality, and flexible education system, incorporating lifelong learning opportunities and equal access to digital technologies was envisaged as the future of education in Mongolia at the Transforming Education national consultation held today in Ulaanbaatar.

Over 130 participants representing 44 state and non-state actors and international organizations have endorsed Mongolia’s commitments and policy recommendations to transform the country’s education establishment into a system based on needs and linked to job market demands.

Prior to the national consultation, a series of dialogues and consultations were organized under the leadership of Mongolia’s Education Minister, Enkh-Amgalan Luvsantseren who believes that “more participation means less mistakes”. He further highlighted that the Ministry, first time in its history, was able to consult with such a wide range of players to discuss the much-needed transformation in Mongolia’s education system. The consultations gave voice to youth, educators, policy-makers, private sector and civil society organizations, urban and rural dwellers, children and parents, boys and girls, and women and men from 10 to over 60 years old, representing a whole range of social groups.

Participants at TES

The consultations were held as a part of the United Nations member states that supported Our Common Agenda, a policy blueprint aimed at accelerating progress toward SDGs, especially after the damages and backslides caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The United Nations Secretary General’s Transforming Education initiative put forward at the Our Common Agenda facilitation discussion with heads of states in 2021, was broadly accepted as a basis for achieving all SDGs.

“Transformation of education is essential to unlocking a breakthrough towards a safer, more equal and peaceful future. In this context, countries are encouraged to hold inclusive, multi-sectoral consultations to develop a shared vision and commitments at the highest level to transform education,” said the UN Resident Coordinator in Mongolia, Tapan Mishra, addressing the participants of the national consultation. “Progress in SDG 4 on Education plays a pivotal role in advancing the multi-dimensional and integrated nature of the 2030 Agenda.”

As the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the existing education gaps and significantly disrupted the education systems around the world, each of the UN member states has been organizing the Transforming Education national consultations. The commitments to transform the XXI century education systems in their respective countries are to be presented at the Transforming Education Summit (TES) to be convened during the 77th General Assembly in September.

The TES June pre-summit in Paris Mongolia showcased some notable achievements in digital learning, set in place during the COVID-19 lockdown and school closures. However, there were challenges as well. Thus, according to a UNICEF-led study in Mongolia, one-third out of 600 thousand school children are at high risk of learning loss due to the inability to access distance learning. Children with disabilities, children from vulnerable groups, and children who live in violence were reported to have experienced a digital divide due to a lack of access to technologies and/or the ability to beneficially use those for extracting information and facilitating knowledge.

“Based on our experiences and efforts of delivering an uninterrupted education during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no question that hybrid learning is to be firmly set in our educational system,” says S. Sanjaabadam, the Academic Secretary of the Mongolian National Institute of Education Research. “Digital learning experience has pointed at our weak and strong sides. Using new technologies and innovation so much supported by the Mongolian Ministry of Education is the basis of the digital transformation in Mongolia’s education system,” added S. Sanjaabadam.

Re-training of teachers, and re-formulating the pedagogical teaching approaches and standards to ensure the quality of teaching through all levels of education starting from pre-school to academia was identified as one of the key areas of a successful transformation in the sector.

Education funding that does not mainly relate to state subsidies but is able to attract private sector support and involvement was seen as a powerful enabler for the system of education of the future.

One of the young participants at the consultation with the youth said: “We, the children are grateful for you, the adults, consulting with us on this very important topic of transforming education. It is the greatest investment you are making in education.”

The participatory exercise of consultations on how to transform education to meet the challenges of the future and create the basis for a prosperous, happy and healthy society, held across the entire country has already given productive results. The ideas raised by the stakeholders were taken aboard by the lawmakers and reflected in the draft revisions of the legislative package on education reform to be submitted to Mongolia’s Parliament this fall.

Following Mongolia’s peaceful revolution in 1990, which replaced the Soviet yoke with democracy and enabled the country to pursue an independent foreign policy, the United States quickly responded by providing vital development aid. The International Republican Institute (IRI), with generous support from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was one the first NGOs on the ground providing valuable assistance to Mongolians working to build a new democratic infrastructure on the ruins of communism. This year, IRI marks its 30th anniversary in Mongolia, providing an opportunity to reflect upon past successes as well as the evolving challenges ahead.

Starting in 1992, IRI’s work supported a competitive, democratic system to help parties become viable political organizations. IRI efforts supported the long-term institutionalization and professionalization of grassroots political parties, and today Mongolia’s system remains a testament of that transition.

With support from USAID, IRI updated its strategy to support elected officials after the first transfer of power in Mongolia in more than 70 years. Following the historic 1996 elections, IRI led technical assistance training programs for the newly elected parliamentarians on their roles and responsibilities, concentrating on procedures and rules to allow for effective legislative drafting, debate on legislation, and general oversight of government activities and reforms.

IRI spent the early 2000s in Mongolia on parliamentary strengthening initiatives and led the first technical consultations on how to hold committee hearings in the State Great Hural. Today, a committee hearing at the State Palace is a mundane procedure, but two decades ago, as Mongolia’s parliament was rapidly professionalizing, this was an innovative practice and IRI provided key support that empowered the legislature to become a more deliberative and democratic institution.

Election poll watching was also initiated in Mongolia with the support of IRI. Prior to the 2004 parliamentary elections and 2005 presidential election, IRI implemented the country’s first nationwide poll watcher training programs for members of all political parties. The impact of these trainings was illustrated by the unprecedented participation of thousands of poll watchers. Since then, party poll watchers have observed every election in Mongolia and have played a vital role in verifying free and fair elections and supporting the multiple peaceful handovers of power that have ensued.

Over the last decade, much of IRI’s work in Mongolia has shifted toward assisting civil society and working with the diverse array of NGOs that support advocacy, human rights, and citizen-responsive governance—invaluable ingredients in making democracy deliver.

As a consolidated democracy sandwiched between two authoritarian neighbors, Mongolia’s democratic success story matters to the world. With rising tensions in the region exacerbated by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine, it’s more important than ever that freedom-loving nations around the world stand firmly together in defense of democracy and human rights.

On June 29, IRI formally marked its 30th anniversary in Mongolia with a reception in Ulaanbaatar, which featured special guests from Washington, DC. The event included IRI President Daniel Twining, a visiting STAFFDEL from the House Democracy Partnership (HDP), and a large and diverse network of Mongolian stakeholders. The 30th anniversary celebration provided a moment to gather, reflect, and celebrate the tangible achievements and long-term impact. However, it remains evident that in a world where the pandemic has tested institutions everywhere, and authoritarian and illiberal actors continue to undermine global norms and democratic values, IRI’s work in Mongolia, and the continued support of donors like NED and USAID, remains as important as ever.