PM'S SUDDEN STATEMENT ABOUT WORK RESULTS AND CHANGES IN HIS CABINET

Ulaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Mongolia has managed to reform many spheres and has started a great construction in a two-year period since the cabinet for reforms set up, started the Prime Minister N.Altankhuyag his statement through several TV channels and radio after it had been announced about his sudden decision to make a statement on Monday evening. “Mongolia constructed power stations with a total capability of 200 MWT in the last 20 years, but the cabinet for reforms has created the same capability energy just in two years. It is not the end, we will build three more power stations with seven-fold more powerful capability in next year’s spring; throughout five cabinets in 12 years, a total of 2,300 km were constructed, the cabinet for reforms has run 2,500 km roads in two years, but this is not a final destination: We will finish connecting centers of all aimags to the UB city by nice paved road; we have achievements in housing, mortgage loan system, industrialization of construction materials, in agriculture and in measures for stabilizing inflation rate". He also mentioned about transferring of budget authority to localities. The cabinet has launched a 100-day program on intensifying the national economy, “some officials deliberately distort it for political purposes”. It cannot be done in one fell swoop, it says about promptly solving urgent problems by parliament and government, supporting private sector’s business and involving it various works, and creating a friendly environment for businessmen by breaking the deadlock of long-year problems, he reminded and thanked “all MPs regardless of their political affiliation for efforts to resolve economic issues”. Noting that the cabinet submitted to parliament a decision on constructing new railways in frames of the programme on intensifying the national economy (PINE), the Premier noticed some successes, for example, the government managed to establish documents on less-costing transporting its export products to seaports; it freed small- and middle-sized productions from customs tax and VAT and so on. He promised to report on the two years’ work and on the PINE soon. “Our path has not been strewn with roses, and nowadays economic problems have not appeared in one day. A rapid soar of copper and coal prices at the world market made us lazy; initial investment in the OT and flows of dollars made some think that we would have all this forever and that we could develop on our own,” he said. “On the other hand, Mongolia is still paying by its Togrog from its pocket and by a decrease in economic grown for scaring away investors, freezing exploration actions, cancelling 106 mineral licenses through court, also for unhealthy politicization of the Oyu Tolgoi matters, irresponsible statements of politicians, finally, for news about arrest or detaining foreign and domestic investors,” the Premier stressed. “But we do not bow our head, we are working hard on the basis of realistic calculations, and we do not make fuss around the currency fluctuations, which actually originated from the downturn in mining products prices, sharp decline in foreign investments, uncontrolled spreading money in a form of social help, and ‘non-industrialization,” he said. The time has come to put aside all this empty politicization and to solve all problems, he stressed. The country’s security, external relations, policy on neighbor countries, banking and financial trust and rate of the national currency must serve for the national interest, not for politics, he emphasized. “Foreigners have appreciated the legal reform in foreign investments’ environment, nonetheless, a frozen situation with the Oyu Tolgoi and Tavan tolgoi projects is blocking the way for foreign investment, in case all this is tacked this autumn, a four billion dollars investment may come,” the Premier said. Then he announced that he will submit to autumn session of parliament an issue of making rotations in his cabinet in order to make it more dynamic, responsible and meticulous; a matter on changing the cabinet’s whole structure will be submitted as well; he also intends to make the OT and Tavan tolgoi project active by tackling the railway matters; is id needed to create a legal environment that ensures the economic transparency by adopting the law on debt management; concrete works await them for stock market, corporate governance, welfare for children and elders, employment, infrastructure and agricultural spheres. After this he underlined an importance of the recent visits of Chinese and Russian Presidents and stressed a value of the documents inked with them. “This year, a number of our livestock has reached 60 million; by the end of this year or in the beginning of the next year we will receive our three millionth citizen. We, the Mongolians, must have one interest—the motherland, and one aim—the development and consolidation,” the Premier Altankhuyag underlined. B.Khuder