During the discussion, authorities of the Cabinet Secretariat of Government, Governors of Bayan-Ulgii, Gobi-Altai, Khovd, Uvs and Zavkhan aimags, heads of citizens’ representatives meetings of the aimags, chairman of Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, representatives of the local chambers of commerce and industry, Asian Development Bank’s Country Director for Mongolia Yolanda Fernandez Lommen and specialists of corresponding ministries were introduced with the strategy to develop private sector in western region and some survey reports.

The Asian Development Bank has been implementing a technical assistance project ‘Fostering value-added activities in western Mongolia’ since 2016. Within the project, competitiveness assessment report and institutional readiness assessment report were carried out in five western aimags over the past three years and business plans were worked out for meat factory in Bayan-Ulgii aimag, ‘Narlag Khulemj’ in Gobi-Altai aimag, seed farm in Khovd aimag and grain farm in Uvs aimag. Moreover, information rooms of governor offices were furnished with required equipment and a series of trainings were provided to staffs of private and public organizations.

The ADB recommended the Cabinet Secretariat of Government that it needs to create favorable environment of governance, empower private sector and develop infrastructure within short period in order to foster local private sector.

Ms. Yolanda said, “The technical assistance project has implemented successfully. It fulfilled its objectives sufficiently. Long-term regional assessment on the state of public and private entities will be a baseline document for government policy to develop rural areas and be useful data for businessmen to find their directions of activities and choose future paths.”

U.Byambasuren, deputy head of the Cabinet Secretariat, said “This baseline document is very important for government to define its development policy that fits territorial and regional features. We have expressed our interest to the ADB to realize this project in other aimags.”