During its weekly meeting on January 15, Cabinet declared 2020 as the year for export boost. Mongolia will focus on meat in its effort to expand exports to foreign markets. Given the increased number of livestock, the need to export meat is increasingly becoming a clear course of action for every entity involved in meat production, from government agencies to herders. In this regard, Cabinet will support all involved parties and ensure all meat processing plants, veterinaries, and slaughterhouses meet necessary safety and health requirements, in addition to all requirements placed by foreign countries planning to import meat from Mongolia. This Cabinet meeting elaborated that Mongolia is currently capable of putting 20 million livestock to economic circulation, 13 million or approximately 355,000 tons of meat is deemed enough for the domestic market while the remaining seven million livestock or around 175,000 tons of meat can and will be exported with the year. The government will also focus on improving marketing and promotion of other agricultural products in Mongolia to boost their export. In 2018, agricultural products accounted for 9.2 percent of all export income, totaling to around 643 million USD.
MINING LICENSE OVERSIGHT TO BE STRENGTHENED
Cabinet decided to establish a specialized online database of all mining-related permits and licenses within the first quarter of 2020, for use in all relevant government agencies. The prime minister instructed relevant agency directors to oversee compliance of all mining license owners, and whether they are performing their obligations under their environmental impact assessment and environmental management plans, and requested that they create a favorable condition for which the public may review this work.
Cabinet members then began planning amendments to relevant laws and regulations to immediately confiscate all machineries used in illegal mining operations as state property, regardless of ownership or even if they were under a rent contract. These vehicles will include all types from wheeled to crawlers with treads.
ADDITIONAL FINANCING APPROVED FOR CLEAN AIR PROJECT
Cabinet agreed to submit the bill to provide additional funding to the Ulaanbaatar Clean Air project. If approved, the funding will be spent on dismantling small-capacity heaters and boilers and connect the user to centralizing heating. It will also be used to purchase equipment and tools for the Specialized Inspection Agency, purchase heating appliances with nighttime heat accumulators for 5,000 households, and establish heating infrastructure for around 200 families. The 12 million USD financing will be provided from the International Development Association, an arm of the World Bank dedicated to helping some of the world’s poorest countries.
The prime minister approved Minister of Finance Ch.Khurelbaatar to spend 262 million USD from the one billion USD soft loan obtained from China to finance the construction of a new waste processing plant. This plant is expected to be in full operation by 2023. Minister of Health D.Sarangerel issued a decree to grant celebrated music producer, pianist and composer B.Chinbat a five million MNT donation for his upcoming liver transplant. The liver will be donated by his wife, A.Sarnai. Government donation has now totaled to 10 million with this decision from D.Sarangerel.
