Daily Newspapers' Association (DNA) addressed 10 core social issues, including child safety, child protection in digital environment, health, food safety, unemployment, poverty and environmental pollution, durings its second annual forum held yesterday. The forum was attended by over 200 delegates of 11 daily newspapers, noteworthy publishers and guests. Key topics were selected based on a survey conducted among all editorials of daily newspapers. “When we brought up these important social issues, several people inquired about the political party behind this forum. Were there any political party involved in 151 children who died this year? What about the people who died of cancer? We are speaking on behalf of unhealthy, hunger-driven, unemployed and half-intoxicated people today,” addressed Dolgion Erdenebaatar, the President of DNA, added, “Rather than making a fuss about these issues among journalists, we must consistently demand resolutions to these problems through our publication policies and let the policy-makers take firm actions.” According to the speakers, one out of six people in Mongolia cannot consume healthy and nutritious food. The number of people who use narcotics and psychotropic substances reached about 90,000. One third of the entire population are struck by poverty and daily spend only MNT 1350 on food.

The participants concluded that these situations have been created due to negligence to these 10 interconnected core problems. Nomintushig Baldorj, the First Deputy Editor at the Today Newspaper, stressed, “609 family and domestic violence response teams were established in cohesion with the Child Protection Act that was approved last year; however, the law is not actualizing in reality as a single social worker in Songino Khairkhan district is responsible for 3,600 people and there is no support from the budget. Therefore, it is essential to ratify a Child Protection Act that is realistic and can enable budgetary incentives to reach the target group.” Baigal Ganbold, a journalist at Zasgiin Gazriin Medee (ZGM) newspaper, highlighted that Mongolia’s economy grew by over 40 times in the last three decades and he State Budget increased by 50 times; however, unemployment and poverty did not reduce.“Although the economy grew significantly last year, the citizens are yet to benefit from it due to unstable growth. Without the right policy, the economic growth will only raise inflation, further burdening the public,” warned Ms. Baigal. The forum continued with the solution of sustainable economy, touching upon domestic industrialization. Dulamkhorloo Baatar, Chief-in-Editor at the ZGM newspaper, urged to support domestic industries at all cost and stressed, “The industrial development has an advantage of being able to prosper through policy support. Recovery of a single industry develops multiple sectors in a chain reaction. This increases workplaces and public income, which will further grow public savings and enhance loan grants of commercial banks, ultimately supporting private entities and is healthy for the state budget.”

Published Date:2018-09-14