PRIME MINISTER VISITS KHOVD PROVINCE
On March 23, Prime Minister J.Erdenebat arrived in Khovd, the capital of Khovd Province, one of the key stops on his tour through the western provinces.
The PM and his accompanying delegation of Cabinet and Parliament members met with Khovd’s residents to talk about the implementation of the government’s action plan and the nation’s overall economic situation, and to listen to residents’ opinions on the government’s operations.
PM J.Erdenebat noted that the new Cabinet has executed a number of initiatives and activities to promote national manufacturing and to deal with the country’s economic challenges since July, and, as a result, foreign investors are trusting in Mongolian investment again.
He added that coal exporting companies were not carrying out consistent policy in practices and trade, so the new government started working to bring them together under a united yet competitive policy. Coal exporters are now selling coal at higher prices in foreign markets, indicating a positive result of the work of the new Cabinet.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the Government of Mongolia will pay off its debt to Aluminum Corporation of China Limited (CHALCO) soon. He added that the government is holding a strict stance on tightening spending, and noted that he has gone abroad only once since entering office.
The residents of Khovd said that promoting the agricultural sector, increasing the import of livestock products, and maintaining welfare programs are important to the public. Prime Minister J.Erdenebat noted that the government is working to support the agricultural sector in producing organic food, to increase livestock product export, and to produce energy in Mongolia.
The Prime Minister visited the Western Regional Center for Medical Diagnoses and Treatment. During his visit to the medical center, he highlighted that Asian Development Bank will help providing financing for the expansion of the center, which has become critical to providing residents of the western provinces with access to medical treatment using modern medical equipment. He also noted that the Belgian government will provide Mongolia with a soft loan to carry out the two-year Western Region Diagnosis and Treatment Center Enhancement Project in Khovd Province.
Khovd Province’s leadership introduced the Prime Minister to projects being implemented in the region. They noted that mining companies are operating at the Khushuut coal mine in Tsetseg soum, and that gold mining companies are operating at three different mine sites. The province’s leadership asked the Prime Minister to help the region's gold miners take part in the government's Gold-2 Program.
PM J.Erdenebat underlined that construction of a 260 kilometer road from Khovd to Govi-Altai and Bayankhongor provinces will be complete this year.