USAID’s Business Excellence for Sustainability and Transparency project, implemented in partnership with Mongolian non-governmental organization Development Solutions, will provide technical assistance and training to increase the access of local entrepreneurs to needed financing to help grow and strengthen their businesses.

“Mongolia’s small and medium enterprises play a significant role in creating jobs and diversifying the country’s economy,” Ambassador Michael Klecheski said. “As a key partner in the Indo-Pacific, the United States is committed to advancing a private-sector led growth in a free, democratic society.”

USAID will work with government and private sector partners to foster an environment conducive to the growth of SMEs, including easier access to business financing, improved corporate governance, capacity-building training on transparency and accountability, and provision of small grants to disadvantaged enterprises. Since 2016, USAID support to SMEs helped improve their access to credit and has facilitated linkages between financial institutions and 750 borrowers, multiplying their investments 20 times over and creating more than 600 new jobs.

The U.S. government, through USAID, works with the Mongolian government, the private sector and non-government organizations to support Mongolia’s continued democratic development, facilitate sustainable, inclusive economic growth, and solidify its path to greater independence and self-reliance. In October, the U.S. and Mongolian governments signed an MNT17 billion ($6.4 million) expansion of the bilateral agreement to implement new activities that will promote good governance, strengthen the rule of law, secure reliable, efficient, and affordable energy; and encourage sustainable, private sector-led growth.

U.S. Embassy in Ulaanbaatar

President Kh.Battulga put a partial veto on the article of the State Budget Law for 2020 to increase social insurance premium by two percent, which would have collected a total of MNT 174.2 billion to state budget as well as an accompanying law on amendments to the regulation on the implementation of the Future Heritage Fund.

Also, a veto was imposed on the budget law article enabling a total of MNT 1.4 trillion of investment for development of a total of 386 buildings in 2021 and 2022.

However, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Budget, on Tuesday, accepted the partial veto on social insurance premium growth and rejected veto on the Future Heritage Fund and the veto on the construction investment.

At today’s parliamentary session, the partial veto on social insurance premium was backed by 51.2 percent of parliamentary members in present voting in favor of it.

Concerning the veto approval by the Parliament, Speaker G.Zandanshatar gave an order to relevant government officials to work on the amendments to the budget law for next year and submit to the Parliament.

In her opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Health, Head of the consultative committee of the project L.Byambasuren noted that two criteria are required to be ensured for water supply, sanitation, and hygiene facilities that are being newly built, which are to have new designs, such as being environmentally friendly, energy and water efficient, and being climate resilient.

The aimags of Bayankhongor, Gobi-Altai, and Zavkhan will benefit the results of the project and Thus, with the successful implementation of the project alongside these aimags, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Sports are giving special significance to promoting the best practice to other aimags.

One of the works successfully implemented in the project framework is the construction of hot water facilities in school dormitories of rural soums, enabling an opportunity for the students staying at the dormitory to keep good personal hygiene, which will reduce the cases for seasonal flu and illnesses in children.

The committee came to the decision to further develop sanitary facilities in schools and kindergartens by introducing new technologies and innovation, and improving the cooperation and information exchange between aimags and soums in the coming year.

Trump was accompanied by security from both the US and Mongolia on the trip, the outlet reported. The argali sheep, with its large horns, is considered a national treasure there, and permission to kill one is “controlled by an opaque permitting system that experts say is mostly based on money, connections and politics”.

In between the killing and the issuing of the permit the month after he left the country, Trump is said to have met with the president, Khaltmaagiin Battulga, suggesting the possibility of special consideration being given to the son of the US president.

“Trump Jr shot his argali at night, using a rifle with a laser sight, the guides said,” according to ProPublica. “He stopped the local hunting guides from dismembering it at the kill site, instead instructing them to use an aluminum sheet to carry the carcass so as not to damage the fur and horns, said Khuandyg Akhbas, 50, one of the guides. He also killed a red deer, which similarly required a permit.

The legality of the importation of big game trophies into the United States has been, like many other issues in the Trump administration, confusing and ever-changing. The president himself has spoken out against the practice, calling such hunting practices a “horror show” despite his two sons being avid trophy hunters.

In order to import trophies of animals on the endangered species list, a US hunter must show that its killing would be beneficial overall to the species at large. In 2017, the Trump administration pushed back against such restrictions on trophy hunting from the Obama era before reinstating the ban. A court ruling found thereafter it was done improperly, allowing imports to continue.

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite statistic (composite index) of life expectancy, education, and per capita income indicators, which are used to rank countries into four tiers of human development.

In the Human Development Index -2019 under the theme ‘Beyond income, beyond averages, beyond today: Inequalities in human development in the 21st century’, Mongolia has been ranked 107th with its life expectancy, 103rd with its education indicator and 120th with its per capita income indicator.

HDI-2019 was topped by Norway, followed by Switzerland, Ireland, Germany, Hong Kong, Australia, Island, Sweden, Singapore and Netherlands.

The health dimension is assessed by life expectancy at birth, the education dimension is measured by mean of years of schooling for adults aged 25 years and more and expected years of schooling for children of school entering age. The standard of living dimension is measured

The factory established with MNT 60 million under the Erdenet Science and Technology Park (STP), will have five workers and produce 12 types of paints in over 30 colors. The STP has conducted research for the plant over the last two years and had the laboratory testing carried out in Finland.

The Euro-standard, water-based, odorless eco-paints produced with Mongolian technology are quick drying and does not require multiple coats. Its main ingredient is chalk.

Established in 2017, Erdenet STP has built four factories and currently administers around 10 companies.

The factory’s products will be used for development in Orkhon aimag, said D.Batlut, Governor of the aimag, at the opening ceremony.

The factory is expected to substitute paint imports from Russia and China.

Assessment of the underground mine in the Asgat was conducted in July 2019 and emergency officers have already managed to open one shaft of the mine after working at the deposit for two months and started the renovation of its excavation braces. At the deposit, technological sampling is being collected by technical employees of Asgatkent LLC with the help from the mining rescue operation unit of Bayan-Ulgii aimag.

The agreement was signed by Minister of Finance Ch.Khurelbaatar and Ambassador of Mongolia to France Philippe Merlin on October 16, 2019. When the draft law goes through the Parliament, a project will kick off to establish an air-rescue unit at the emergency authority and equip it with a French soft loan of EUR 57.9 million. Specifically, three Airbus EC145 helicopters and one training helicopter will be provided and a hangar will be established with a fuel station and cold resistant fuel tank.

Moreover, 42 special purpose vehicles for structure fires will be provided and training courses will be held for pilots, mechanics, aeronautical engineers, and emergency health care providers.

The 30-year loan with a moratorium period of 10 years has an interest rate of 0.08 percent.

The cabinet made the decision on the rescue unit’s establishment at its meeting on August 21.