On Wednesday, the Economic Policy and Competitiveness Research Center (EPCRC) presented the results of a survey on the competitiveness of districts in Ulaanbaatar, conducted with assistance from Ulaanbaatar City Council and the Asia Foundation. The report is the first comprehensive research on the development and competitiveness of Ulaanbaatar districts. Mayor of Ulaanbaatar S.Batbold delivered a speech at the presenting of the report. UB Mayor S.Batbold[/caption] “Half of the population of Mongolia lives in Ulaanbaatar. As everything is centralized in the capital, we must always pay attention to finding solutions to further develop the city and improve living conditions. Hence, we are always aiming to develop Ulaanbaatar into a city that prioritizes the needs of residents, uses the latest technical advancements, has independent economy and industries, provides favorable conditions for running businesses, and is highly competitive internationally.” The mayor emphasized the importance of making good decisions based on research and interests of the public. He believes that the report on the competitiveness of districts will contribute greatly to the development of Ulaanbaatar. “I think that the report will become a very valuable piece of information for carrying out sustainable plans to determine the current development level of districts and accurately allocate investment from the city budget,” he stated. The report assesses the competitiveness of districts based on 150 criteria of five main indicators, which are the quality of life, living environment, governance, security, and eco- nomic situation. Districts were ranked based on their overall score. Bayangol District received the highest score of 0.517 while Nalaikh District received the lowest score of 0.398. Below is the ranking of UB districts by competitiveness: 1. Bayangol – 0.517 2. Khan-Uul – 0.508 3. Bayanzurkh – 0.483 4. Sukhbaatar – 0.468 5. Chingeltei – 0.463 6. Songinokhairkhan – 0.459 7. Bagakhangai – 0.415 8. Baganuur – 0.408 9. Nalaikh – 0.398