Cabinet reviews agriculture, infrastructure and social issues
At the beginning of Cabinet’s weekly Wednesday meeting, Minister of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry B.Batzorig reported on ongoing measures in the agricultural sector.
Minister B.Batzorig reported that as of July 4, farmers across the country have planted 342,200 hectares of wheat, 37,000 hectares of fodder, 12,000 hectares of potatoes, 8,000 hectares of other vegetables, 947 hectares of fruit, and 386 hectares of medicinal herbs.
Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh instructed Minister B.Batzorig to organize procurement of agricultural technology and equipment from Russia, China, Belarus, Poland and Germany through a loan from Development Bank of Mongolia, and carry out scheduled works related to harvest and preparation for the winter on time.
Head of the National Development Agency B.Bayarsaikhan was tasked with minimizing cost of shipping freight and establish a cooperation contract with a company that will implement the project to upgrade 250 kilometers of road between the Tavan Tolgoi coal mine and Gashuun Sukhait border checkpoint. B.Bayarsaikhan was also instructed not to provide government’s financial assistance and guarantee.
Cabinet agreed to implement a project to expand Choibalsan Thermal Power Plant by 50 megawatts through Development Bank funding, which will be completed by 2021.
During the meeting, Cabinet ministers discussed the project to renew Undurkhaan Airport in Chinggis City, the capital of Khentii Province, which will be carried out with financing from the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development, and Ambassador of Mongolia to Kuwait Z.Chintushig was given the approval to sign the agreement.
Cabinet agreed to supply the required financing for increasing the number of monitoring posts, which take control of cattle movements to prevent unexpected animal and livestock infectious disease spreads; address risk factors affecting grass such as grasshopper migration and mouse population boom; provide social and medical assistance to herder; and speed up hay preparation across the country for the Government Reserve Fund.
The prime minister instructed heads of government agencies and the mayor of Ulaanbaatar to not submit projects without blueprints or feasibility studies for next year’s state budget.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Cabinet agreed to update its regulation to provide monthly cash assistance to Tsaatan (Mongolia’s reindeer people), and 478 Tsaatan of 84 families are living in Tsagaannuur soum of Khuvsgul Province.
The National Program for Education for Sustainable Development was adopted by Cabinet, and some ministers were tasked to include the required financing for carrying out the program from loans and aids of international organizations in the state budget each year.
Prime Minister U.Khurelsukh instructed Deputy Prime Minister U.Enkhtuvshin to organize measures for the 80th anniversary of Khalkhiin Gol Battle in 2019.
During the meeting, the minister of environment and tourism reported that many people are illegally exploring gemstones in the territories of Batnorov, Bor-Undur, Kherlen, Galshar, and Darkhan soums in Khentii Province, and the ministers discussed measures to stop gemstone smuggling.
Following the minister’s report, the premier instructed Minister of Justice and Internal Affairs Ts.Nyamdorj to take measures to end the illegal explorations, uncover those engaged in gemstone smuggling, and to put forward a proposal for making amendments to some laws to tighten charges for smuggling gemstones.